You can now file a police report online

"Our two cars were broken into and rifled last night!" This happened to one of our SavePB members last week. There was nothing the police could do immediately but, as we know, crimes that are not reported don't become part of the crime statistics so it is very important to report all crimes. Also, calls for service help determine police staff allocations, so if we report things, we may get more policing in the area. The victim of the car break-ins quickly and conveniently reported the non-emergency crime online, received his incident number then called his insurance company.You can now file a police report online to report some non-emergency crimes. When you have filed a police report online, you will receive a PDF copy as an attachment in your email within five business days of approval.Citizens Online Reporting System:  http://www.sandiego.gov/police/crimereports/startaccess.htmlFor non-emergencies that you feel should be responded to quickly, it's still best to call the SDPD's 24-hour non-emergency number:If you live in Area Code 858, call (858) 484-3154 If you live in Area Code 619, call (619) 531-2000Please note: The SDPD response to non-emergency calls will depend on the relative seriousness or priority of the situation, the likelihood of making an arrest at the scene, and the availability of an officer. Don't worry that your call will "bug" the police or keep them from responding to more important crimes. Dispatchers prioritize the calls and the police respond to higher priority calls first.Crimes and suspicious activities that fall into the non-emergency category are:

• Those that don't involve serious personal injury, property damage, or property loss, e.g. loud parties delete-- the person calling must be willing to sign a complaint
• When there is no possibility that the suspect is still at the scene and is unlikely to return to the scene, e.g. auto theft and vandalism
• When an immediate response is not needed, e.g. loitering near schools or parks.

If there is any doubt as to whether the situation is an emergency, it is always better to be on the safe side and call 9-1-1.