Reporting a crime

If you have experienced crime, you will need to decide whether to inform the police; this is entirely your decision.

You may feel unsure about reporting or contacting the police. You could be worrying about what will happen after you have reported. This could also be because you have prior experiences with the police, or you are worried about what will happen next, or getting someone into trouble. Here at the Victim Care Service, we can support you through this process as well as talk you through any options or questions you have.

There are several ways to report a crime:

• If you or someone else is in immediate danger, always call 999.
•  101, this can be used when you want to report something that has already happened and you are safe. For example, reporting a burglary where you are sure the offender has left the scene.
• Online most forces will let you report a non-urgent crime online. This website will ask you where the crime happened and then direct you to the most appropriate force and how to report.
• Crimestoppers – is an independent charity where you can report crime anonymously. Please note that Crimestoppers are unable to take information directly from victims because they operate an anonymous service. 

For some crime types, there may be other mechanisms of reporting for example with hate crime, there is an option to report to a third party reporting center and fraud can be reported straight to Action Fraud. For more information on specific crime types click here. 

Our caseworkers are available to support you regardless of whether you have reported the crime or not. The Victim Care Service is independent of the police and therefore we will not pass along any information unless we believe someone is at serious risk of harm. Our caseworkers cannot help you to decide whether to report,  but they can answer any questions and provide information that may be able to help you work out the right decision for you.