What term best describes a person who reports a crime?

• A. Informant
• B. Witness
• C. Suspect
• D. Victim

Answer: (A)

Reporting a crime involves giving information to authorities that can help investigators identify what happened and who was involved. The best term for a person who provides that kind of information is informant, because it specifically denotes someone who supplies information to law enforcement, often to assist an investigation and potentially remain confidential. A witness is someone who observed the crime or has first-hand knowledge and may testify about it, but they don’t necessarily initiate contact to report the crime. A suspect is someone believed to have committed the crime, and a victim is the person harmed by the crime; neither label centers on the act of reporting information to authorities. So informant best fits the description.