Now You Can Report Crime Municipal Issues & More Anonymously With This Mobile App
When it comes to reporting crime or complaining about municipal issues, many people are hesitant to do so because they are not sure who to approach and how. But that need not be the case anymore. An app, developed by an Indore-based engineer, is helping people across the country turn into citizen cops.
Have you ever been in a situation where someone broke a traffic rule while you stood watching? Or snatched a persons mobile phone and ran away while everyone stood still, unsure about the next step? Many of us choose to walk away when we come across such situations either because registering a complaint is a tedious process or because we are not sure who to approach and where exactly to find such a person. But what if you could become a citizen cop and complain about the issue at hand with just a few taps on your mobile phone?
Submitting An Anonymous Tip
In case of an emergency, call 911. The online tip line is for non-emergency situations.
One of the most effective resources in deterring or solving a crime is information from the community. Please contact The University of Connecticut Police Department if you have ANY information on a crime that has been committed, is in commission or is being planned. You may contact us by coming in to the station, calling or emailing us your information:
- University of Connecticut Police Department:126 North Eagleville RoadStorrs, CT 06269
- Give us a call at 860-486-4800.
- Send us an email message to . Or use the form provided below. NOTE: This email address has been designated solely to receive information from the community about criminal activity.
When submitting crime tips, provide as much of the following information as you can:
- Who: Names and/or a description of the person/people involved.
- What: Description of the type of crime.
- When: Date and time of crime.
- Where: Address or description of place.
- Why: Motive, why crime was/is going to be committed.
- How: What methods are going to be/were used.
- Any other information such as a vehicle description.
Complaints About Police Officers
If you have experienced police misconduct:
- Contact the law enforcement agency involved.
- Submit your complaint in writing to the chief of police or the head of the law enforcement agency involved.
- Send a copy of your complaint to the Internal Affairs Division of the law enforcement agency. Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.
If the problem remains unresolved, learn how to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
Finally, as with any potential legal dispute, you may want to contact a licensed attorney.
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Reporting A Crime And Filing A Police Report
The Department of Police Services responds to and investigates all crimes and incidents that occur on CSUN-owned and leased property, including a one-mile radius surrounding our campus. There are several ways in which you can contact the university police in the event of a police, fire or medical emergency. Certified police dispatchers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You should always report criminal activity, fire, injury, or hazards to the Department of Police Services immediately by calling 911 for emergencies or crimes in progress, or 677-2111 for non-emergencies. You can file a police report in person at the Department of Police Services , or an officer can be sent to your location. Select reports may be filed online. If you would like to report a crime anonymously, call the We-Tip hotline at 677-TIPS . If you require a copy of a police report, contact the university polices Records Unit at 677-3224. If you are eligible, you can get copies of reports for a nominal fee.
Reporting A Crime Online
Tip: Some incident forms make the individual’s first and last names required fields by default. Check beneath one or both name fields for a box that says something like Decline or Withhold. If there is, click it.
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What Happens After I File A Report
So Can You Make An Anonymous Noise Complaint To The Police
So youve decided to report the noise to the police, but you want to keep your identity a secret. Well, as you can imagine, most calls to the police start with introductions. However, the caller can also request to remain anonymous, but Im not sure that would be the best thing to do in this case.
After all, the officers are going to need all the context they can get. Additionally, if the noise cuts off before the officers get there, you may need to provide proof that it was ever there. You wouldnt want them to think that you wasted police resources.
Ultimately, its best to introduce yourself to the police before stating your case. You can always request that they not mention your name to the people who are making the noise. However, you may need to jump in if the police decide to charge the person with disturbing the peace. If that happens, you may need to act as a witness.
Usually, the question of your identity is only important if you want to lodge a formal complaint. If you want to go through with your report, I have one last piece of advice: dont call 911. Instead, take the time to look up the number your local police department uses to take non-urgent complaints. Hopefully, youll be able to keep your name off the record.
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Should You Report A Crime Anonymously
If you are a victim of a crime or witness a crime, you may have second thoughts about reporting it. You may think reporting the crime is more trouble than it’s worth, as happened with the infamous murder of Kitty Genovese in the 1960s. But instead of ignoring the crime, you may want to consider reporting it anonymously.
Some of the benefits of reporting a crime anonymously are that it may encourage you to report it in the first place. Other benefits can include leaving you out of it.
However, there are some drawbacks to anonymous reporting as well.
For example, police may not be able to use you as a witness and could have a harder time finding the perpetrator.
Whether you want to anonymously report a crime is an individual decision you have to weigh. If you do choose to go this route, you should know there are typically several options to make an anonymous report:
In this day and age of surveillance cameras and Internet snoops, it may be nearly impossible to do anything, much less report a crime, anonymously. However, you should remember that reporting a crime is usually better than not reporting a crime at all.
Related Resources:
Bomb Threats By Telephone
If you receive a bomb threat over the telephone, Ready.gov provides the following information on what to do:
- Get as much information from the caller as possible. Try to ask the following questions:
- When is the bomb going to explode?
- Where is it right now?
- What does it look like?
- What kind of bomb is it?
- What will cause it to explode?
- Did you place the bomb?
The Department of Homeland Security also provides a helpful telephone bomb threat checklist.
Get more information on what to do if you receive a bomb threat or find a suspicious item.
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Report Threats And Crime
General Public
Members of the public can report violations of U.S. federal law or suspected terrorism or criminal activity as follows:
Contact us online
- Use our Online Tips and Public Leads form to report information on criminal activity and suspected terrorist threats
- Report cyber crimes by filing a complaint with our Internet Crime Complaint Center
Contact us via telephone or mail
- Contact your local FBI office or closest international office 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Crime Stoppers Anonymous Tips
Submitting Crime Stoppers anonymous tips is one of the many ways that community members can do their part to keep our community safer.
Since 1980, Crime Stoppers has stood as a successful non-profit organization that is focused on providing resources to promote safety in the community. This means providing community members with an option of submitting a crime tip anonymously that will be passed on to the appropriate law enforcement personnel to be dealt with.
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How To Report A Crime Anonymously
If you have information about a crime, but are uncomfortable identifying yourself, there are ways you can confidentially share what you know without anyone knowing who you are.
It is always best to report a crime. The information you provide can help you or someone else or can help the police solve crimes and arrest and convict the right people. You are contributing to making your community safer.
In an emergency, please call 911 immediately.
A Lite Version Of The App Is Also Available In Many Other Cities Across India As Well This Version Does Not Have The Option To Contact The Police Or Send Complaints Directly
All reported issues are checked at the call centres set up by CitizenCOP, from where the team members pass the information on to the concerned authorities or other NGOs they collaborate with. For instance, in a recent case of domestic violence reported from Jaipur, CitizenCOP was able to provide immediate help through an NGO operating in the area.
The CitizenCOP NGO, formed under the CSR wing of INFOCRATS, has a team of 10 people who keep an eye on all the serious issues that are reported and share them with the concerned authorities. The best thing about the app is that it maintains anonymity. Users dont have to register themselves to begin using the app, and their names and numbers are not included in the complaint unless they want to share them. This eliminates the fear of identity disclosure that many people experience when complaining about issues, especially to the police.
The features of the app include:
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Warning Signs Of Illegal Drug Activity
If you want to know how to anonymously report drug activity, first make sure that there are warning signs of the activity. For instance:
- People enter the house with expensive things and depart without them all the time.
- There are excessive movement inside and around the house during night time.
- In some places, to subtly indicate that a drug dealer is around, some of them put shoes with their shoelaces knotted together hung over trees or power cables.
- People are often visiting the place and leaving after a short while.
- Although it is not a precise sign, in some cases, the houses blinds or curtains are dark and permanently closed no matter what the weather is.
- You may see a substance that looks like powder inside or around the house.
- Keep an eye for excessive quantities of plastic bags around the house.
- Needles or syringes are placed on the street, around the house or in nearby dumpsters.
- Look for grinders, rolling paper, pipes or other drug-related elements lying around in the neighborhood.
What If I Need To Change My Report After I File It
You will have the ability to file online supplemental reports. If you have already filed a report through the online system, we strongly encourage you to continue to update and add information through this system. This decreases the risk of filing the same report twice, and also makes it easier to keep your information tied to the correct report number.
You will need either:
- Your temporary transaction
- Your police report number
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Citizen Online Report Entry
If your incident:
- Requires IMMEDIATE police attendance or a lengthy on-scene investigation
- Is related to Domestic Violence
- Involves an Emotionally Disturbed Person
- Involves the reporting of Theft of E-Bike
- Is motivated by hate bias
Please call the Toronto Police at 416-808-2222 and DO NOT submit your report online.If this is an emergency, please call 911.
In order for the Toronto Police Service to process your CORE report, the following information is MANDATORY
- Your EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER and other contact information.
- The INCIDENT START AND END DATE
- The LOCATION of the incident, including the place or area your property was believed stolen.
- Please CREATE A SEPARATE PROPERTY ENTRY for EACH piece of property that you are reporting stolen.
The accuracy of the information you provide in the report greatly assists the Toronto Police Service in investigating your report. Please ensure it is as COMPLETE AND CONCISE as possible.
If you have filed a report online and would like to add/change/update your report, please submit a Supplemental Report.
It is the policy of the Toronto Police Service to not accept reports of non-emergency incidents that occur outside of the City of Toronto.
Reasons For Reporting A Crime
Don’t worry if you decide not to report what you know about a crime to the police at the time it happened. You can tell them what you know at a later date.
If you do decide to report what you know to the police be assured that they will be sensitive to your concerns. The information you give them can:
- help to bring the person who committed the crime to justice this could help to prevent further crimes and protect others from becoming victims
- help your community – all crimes and anti social behaviour have a negative effect and reporting them can help the problem be addressed
- help you – you may find it helps to talk about what has happened and your feelings about it
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Your Rights As A Victim Or Witness
As a victim or witness of crime, you’re entitled to receive a certain level of information and support from the organisations you come in to contact with in the criminal justice system.
In particular, you’re entitled to certain information about what’s happening with your case, and you should be able to access appropriate support during and after the investigation and proceedings.
The Victims’ Code for Scotland sets out your rights and who to contact for help and advice.
When Should You Get The Police Involved
In the articles Ive linked to above, I created step-by-step guides to dealing with noisy neighbors. I tried to explain your rights to the best of my ability, but ultimately, Im now only sure of one thing: our noise regulations arent what they ought to be. However, rather than dwelling on which countries are doing it better, Im choosing to focus on what we can do.
Namely, the first thing you should do if you find yourself having to face a particularly noisy neighbor is educate yourself on local laws. Ive left plenty of helpful resources in my previous articles on the subject. Basically, thatll tell you if the police would even be on your side. But before you try to call the police, make sure youve done everything else by the book:
- Talk to whoevers making the noise
- Isolate yourself if possible soundproof your home or wear noise-canceling headphones
- Get a mediator, like your landlord or an attorney
On the other hand, the person behind the noise could also be behind a wheel. In that case, it would be much harder to report the incident. Still, the chances are high that the police will catch the culprit without your help.
However, if you keep seeing the same car driving by with music spilling out of every window especially at night you could record and report the incidents. Take videos, write down the license plates, and try to remember the driver. That will probably help the police deal with the problem.
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