If you are the victim of a crime or if you have witnessed a crime or its aftermath, you can file a police report. You are not required to provide proof when you file a report. If someone steals your purse, for example, or if you witness a hit-and-run driver in your neighborhood, the police will not require you to present evidence of the crime. They will take your statement and use it in their investigation. Filing a police report means telling a police officer about a crime; it does not mean you have to fill out a special form.
Call the local police department when you witness a crime or want to report that you have been victimized. The police may ask you to file your report over the phone or they could send an officer to your location to take a report from you. If you are near the police department, you could go there in person to tell an officer what happened.
Tell the police officer the circumstances of the crime, giving as many details as you can. If you have evidence or can show the police any physical details that relate to the crime, such as a broken window or an injury to your body, tell the officer about it.
Read More: What Is the Purpose of a Police Report?
Launch your Web browser and open the website of your local police department if you want to file a police report online. If the police department website has a form for filing a police report, click on it and type in the details. Include contact information so the police can get in touch with you if they have questions or need to discuss the investigation with you.
Tips
- If the crime is in progress, call 911 immediately.
References
Tips
- If the crime is in progress, call 911 immediately.
Writer Bio
Julius Vandersteen has been a freelance writer since 1999. His work has appeared in “The Los Angeles Times,” “Wired” and “S.F. Weekly.” Vandersteen has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from San Francisco State University.