Reporting what you know
It is in your interests, and those of your local community, to report what you know to the police. The information you give them can:
- Help to bring the person who committed the crime to justice which could help to prevent further crimes and protect others from becoming victims.
- Help your community as all crimes, even those which are less serious crimes with no obvious victims, have a negative effect on the community. Reporting what you know will help the police spot trends in criminal activity, for example, car vandalism in a particular area. Please bear in mind, the criminal justice system can only work effectively with the help of the public.
- Help you. You may also find it has helped you to talk about what has happened and your feelings about it.
Contacting the police
There are a number of ways to contact the police:
- In an emergency, dial 999.
- For non-urgent matters drop in to your local police station or call the police on 0845 600 8000. Operators will pass your call on to your local police station.
- If you want to remain anonymous dial the Crimestoppers helpline - 0800 555 111.
- For minor and hate related incidents, you can contact police online
The police take all crime seriously and you can expect to be treated with sensitivity and respect by them. After you have spoken to the police, the investigating officer will decide whether you need to provide a statement or be spoken to further about what you have seen. He/ she may also let you know whether you will need to attend a court hearing in the case. In some cases, once the police have spoken to a witness, they will not need to give a statement or even be contacted again.
You may find it helpful to read some of the Questions in this section.