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.
Citizencop A Mobile App Meant To Bridge The Gap Between Citizens And The Police Can Now Help You Register A Complaint Without Revealing Your Identity
Take traffic rules for example. It is a known fact that when there is a surveillance camera or a policeman at a signal or crossroad, there are fewer chances of people breaking rules. Otherwise, there are many who dont pay heed to the regulations and create problems. In situations like these, why cant the common man become a cop and click a picture of someone breaking the rules? He or she can then forward it to the concerned authorities, says Rakesh Jain, the brains behind CitizenCOP.
A free mobile application, CitizenCOP has been developed as a CSR initiative of INFOCRATS Web Solutions, an IT company founded by Rakesh about 20 years ago. The full version of the app is currently being used in 25 Indian cities including Noida, Navi Mumbai, Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Raipur, and Varanasi. In these cities, police officials are working in collaboration with CitizenCOP.
The police have access to a secured control panel connected to our backend in the cities where we work in association with them. The data goes to the police control room directly. We dont intervene in the day-to-day regulations in these cities. The police officials take action through different departments, as and when required, says Rakesh.
What You Should Tell The Police
Wherever possible you should tell the police:
- as much information as you can about the incident
- if you know who the victim is or how they might be able to contact them
- if you’re worried about your own or your family’s safety so that they can give you the right advice
- if you think the offence was aggravated by sectarian or racial abuse or hatred or any other form of hostility such as homophobia or based on disability
- details of any other witnesses
- how the crime has affected you
- your contact details, or any changes to your contact details in case the police or the Public Prosecution Service need to contact you again
- if you notice any further changes since the incident as to how the crime has affected you
Recommended Reading: Can Police Locate A Cell Phone
Providing Information About Crimes
Information about crimes committed in the City should be reported directly to the SDPD. To provide information about a crime that is under investigation, call the detective handling the case. If you do not know the detective’s name, call your local SDPD Area Station and ask to speak with the detective assigned to the case. If the case is being handled by one of the central investigative units, you will be given the name and phone number of the detective to contact.
Generally the City does not pay rewards for information about crimes. However, a City ordinance authorizes the City Manager to pay a reward of up to $500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of graffiti vandals. Claim forms for this Spray and Pay Rewards Program can be obtained online at or by calling the Graffiti Program Office at 525-8522.
Crime Stoppers also has a joint program with the San Diego Unified School District in which students can receive cash rewards of up to $1000 for anonymous tips or information that solve or prevent campus violence or vandalism to school property. These calls should also go to 580-8477.
Who Oversees The Crime Stoppers Program
A Community Board of Volunteers oversees the program. Peel Crime Stoppers is a registered non-profit charitable organization. Crime Stoppers receives no government funding. All funds used to operate the Crime Stoppers program are obtained through charitable community donations this includes the money that is paid out to our tipsters.
Contact Us
You May Like: How To File A Police Report For Bank Fraud
What Happens If You File A False Police Report
Filing a false police report is a crime. Anyone filing a false police report may be prosecuted under California Penal Code section 148.5 PC. Filing a false police report is punishable by imprisonment in county jail not exceeding 6 months, or by fine not exceeding $1,000, or by both. Start An Online Police Report in: English | Spanish Español
Supplemental Reports cannot be filed online. To add any additional information, please wait until you have received your final report with a LAPD report number and call your local police station to speak with the detective assigned to your case. Filing a false police report is a crime.
Filing A Report In Person
Recommended Reading: Can Police Find Your Location On Cell Phone
Theft Of A License Plate
Someone has stolen one or both of the license plates from your vehicle. It does not matter if the licenses plates were expired. You may also report a missing temporary tag. You will need the license plate and VIN number for the vehicle that had the plates stolen.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Once reported, the license plate or temporary tag will be entered into national law enforcement databases as “stolen”.To avoid an unnecessary interaction with officers, you MUST contact your local office of the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain new license plates or a temporary tag. DO NOT DRIVEa vehicle with a license plate attached that has been reported and entered as stolen.
Can You Make An Anonymous Noise Complaint To The Police
Recently, one of my favorite pastimes has been exploring the laws surrounding noise regulation and the way theyre enforced. Ive previously written about dealing with neighbors who are partying well into the night and ones that are playing loud music during the day. Ive even recommended contacting the authorities but is it possible to lodge an anonymous complaint?
After all, there are plenty of reasons why you may not want your name attached to the complaint. Besides, even in all my research, I havent been able to reach a satisfactory conclusion as to the state of U.S. noise regulations. So you may not even have solid ground to stand on in this case.
Still, lets break down this question point by point. Well talk about why you would even want to stay anonymous and whether an anonymous complaint would be the right move for you. But first, lets discuss if and when you should involve the police in the first place?
» QUICK NAVIGATION «
Dont Miss: How To Become A Police Officer In Ma
Also Check: Can You File A Insurance Claim Without A Police Report
What Does Peel Crime Stoppers Do With The Tips
Peel Crime Stoppers will forward the tip information to the appropriate police authorities. The Investigators will work hand-in-hand with the information, and will inform Peel Crime Stoppers on how the case is progressing. Therefore, it’s important for the caller to call back for an update on the case.
Why Filing A Police Report Matters
You might think that filing a police report over a minor incident doesn’t matter all that much. Perhaps you assume that doing so will just be a waste of your time for something that isn’t going to be seen by anyone anyway, but that isn’t quite true. Although certain reports have to be given priority over others, it is important to have the full data of all of the reports that come in. Police departments from coast-to-coast rely on this information to make more informed decisions about policing going forward. They can:
- See and detect patterns of crime in certain areas
- Identify which types of crime are the biggest concerns in a certain population
- Ask for more funding based on the number of crimes reported in the area
You should not allow yourself to get discouraged and think that you are just spinning your wheels. The police departments sincerely appreciate your efforts regardless of how quickly they are able to act upon them.
Read Also: How Much Does Police Academy Cost
Report Scams Frauds Online Crime
How to Submit a Complaint
- Visit our Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov
What to Report
- Online scams, thefts, or fraud
- Cyber crimes like malware, ransomware, or phishing
What We Do with Your Complaint
Your complaint will go to the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center, which tracks internet-enabled crimes and scams.
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?
Also Check: Can I Become A Police Officer Without Citizenship
Online Citizen Reporting System
Welcome to the Kansas City Police Department Citizen Reporting System. If this is an emergency please call 911. Using this online reporting system allows you to submit a report immediately and print a temporary copy of the report for free.
Please confirm the following to find out if online report filing is right for you:
- Is this an emergency?
- Did this incident occur outside of Kansas City city limits?
- Are there known suspects?
If you answered no to all of the above questions, you are ready to file your report online. Please make sure to turn off your pop-up blocking software before filing the report. If you answered yes to any of the questions please look at our Citizen Reporting Frequently Asked Questions section below.
Upon completion of this report process you will:
- See the words: “Your report has been submitted.”
- Be given a tracking number for your report.
- Be able to print a temporary copy of the report for your records.
Please Note:
- All cases filed using the Citizen Reporting System will be reviewed.
- Upon review, if further investigation of your case is needed, you may be contacted.
- Filing a false police report is a crime.
Using the Kansas City Police Department Citizen Reporting System you can report incidents such as: Lost Property, Phone Harassment, Vandalism, and Theft
Make Sure Your Occurrence Can Be Reported Online
Use the information below to see if you can use this system. If your occurrence qualifies for online reporting, proceed to the next step. If your occurrence does not qualify for online reporting, it cannot be accepted by the officer managing online reporting. These occurrences require contact with a local OPP officer for investigation. Please call the OPP toll-free at 1-888-310-1122 to file a report. Links to external websites including those with video, digital images or documents that are not supported by this application cannot be managed through this online reporting service. Please include a narrative description of the occurrence if you will be filing an online report.
Read Also: How To Get Police Records Online
You May Like: How Much Does A Police Drone Cost
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.
Submit A Tip Online Here
Once a tip has been received it will be sent to the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the reported crime. The agency will investigate the tip and report back the outcome of the investigation to our administrative office in Southfield, Michigan.
You can follow up on your tip by calling our administrative office on specified days. The phone number to call when following up on a tip is 313-922-5000. The hours to call our main office for follow-ups are: Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. 3 p.m. and Wednesday from 1 p.m. 5 p.m.
If your tip leads to an arrest, you will be eligible for a reward of up to $2,500. Rewards are processed once a month. If you are eligible for a reward, we have partnered with local banks that will disburse the reward in cash. No identification is needed, and you will only need your tip reference number and the amount of the reward to get paid.
Also Check: How Do I Get My Police Report Number
Recommended Reading: Why Is My Accident Police Report Taking So Long
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:
Reports You Cannot Submit Online
- Robbery
- House and business break and enters
- Domestic disputes
- Theft of a vehicle
- Any type of fraud resulting in the loss of funds/personal information or property, including fraudulent use of debit or credit cards
- Incidents that involve lost / stolen citizenship cards, permanent resident cards, immigration documents, government cheques, or cash from the government
- Incidents involving firearms
- Stolen property for sale online such as on Kijiji, Craigslist, Facebook, etc.
These crimes may require a dispatched call. Please phone the Police non-emergency line 266-1234.
FOR EMERGENCIES OR CRIMES IN PROGRESS CALL 9-1-1.
Read Also: How To Call Police On Computer
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.