Brooklyn Park Police Introduce New Crime Reporting System
The city of Brooklyn Park has unveiled a new way for residents to file a police report.
A new online reporting platform went live on the city’s website this week.
It allows residents to file specific types of non-emergency police reports.
Those lower-level crimes can range from animal complaints to credit card fraud and property damage.
According to Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Elliot Faust, previously, officers had to drive to a potential crime scene and talk with the person filing a police report.
The department can still send an officer to meet with folks filing reports, but through the new system, it’s no longer strictly required.
“If somebody wants to speak to a police officer because they just want to have that conversation and they want to make sure that we have recorded all the nuances, obviously, we’re always going to come out,” Faust said. “If you call 911, we’re going to come out. We’re going to take your report. Nothing has changed there. It’s just another option for people. People that are short on time, want to report it on their phone, want to go on the computer, it’s right there.”
A screenshot of the new web-based police reporting system unveiled by the Brooklyn Park Police Department this week.
Reporting Low-Level Incidents
Faust said some people are concerned about wasting the police department’s time and may be reluctant to report a low-level incident.
However, the new system makes it easier to report these crimes.
“I would have to imagine there’s a number of instances where people just decide, ‘well, I’m just not going to bother them then,'” he said. “But in reality, we want to know about what crime is going on in this community.”
Anyone who files a web-based report can automatically get a case number and copy of the report sent to them. By contrast, through the older system, reports had to be formally requested or picked up in person at the police station.
