Save time, report online
Is it an emergency?
If a crime is happening, please call 999 now.
If it isn't an emergency please call report it online.
With people across Cambridgeshire requiring police assistance 24/7, 365 days a year, our 999 and 101 phone lines are under constant pressure.
In fact, our force Demand Hub receives an average of 35,175 incoming calls per month, of which around 59% are to the non-emergency line, 101.
Non-emergency calls can often be complex and time-consuming for call handlers to deal with over the phone, meaning there can often be a queue of people waiting to speak with an operator on 101.
However, by utilising our online reporting system, you can help us to relieve some of the pressure on our hard-working call handlers, whilst also saving yourself time waiting to speak to someone over the phone.
Skip the 101 queues, and report non-urgent crime to us in 5-30 minutes, depending on the nature of the report.
You can help give us time to focus on answering the most serious emergency calls, whilst saving your own time waiting on the phone for an operator. It really is that simple - #SaveTimeReportOnline!
Learn more about how our online reporting system works below!
How to report crime online
- From the homepage of our website, click ‘report’ and choose the category most appropriate for your incident. If none of them apply, you can go to ‘tell us about’ and select ‘tell us about something you have seen or heard’ instead.
- Answer the series of questions presented to you to establish whether reporting online is in fact the best option for you.
- If we do recommend you report your crime online, you will be taken to a form, where you will need to click start.
- First, you will need to provide us with some details about yourself, and then your role in the incident that has occurred.
- Next, you will need to tell us about what’s happened, followed by any evidence and / or witness / suspect details you have.
- You can then review the report to ensure it’s all correct, and click submit.
Remember: Reporting online is for non-emergencies only.
When will I hear back?
Within 48 hours of submitting your report. We will either:
- Provide you with a crime reference number
- If we can’t take action, we will send you an explanation as to why, along with further advice
- Or, we will call you if we need more information, to clarify something in your report, or if there’s an opportunity to collect forensic evidence from you / the scene
In the meantime, you can just relax and go about your day.
What are the benefits of reporting online?
Reporting online:
- Relieves pressure on our call handlers, giving them more time to focus on the most serious emergency calls we receive
- Alleviates the need for waiting on hold for an operator to become available on the 101 phone line
- Allows you to get on with your day – online reports can be submitted from anywhere, via mobile, desktop or tablet, as long as you have Wi-Fi. All you have to do is provide us with the details and we'll review your report, getting back to you within 48 hours
- Allows people to get in contact with police if they don’t feel comfortable speaking to an operator on the telephone
Who deals with my report?
Every report we receive will be assessed by one of our experienced call handlers, the same people who take 999 and 101 calls in our control rooms. They will assess all the information and deal with the report accordingly, in the exact same way they would if they were taking the report over the phone.
What can I expect after I’ve reported crime online?
You will be provided with a receipt code (on the screen and via email). If you need to contact us about this again, please use this code. If you haven't received your receipt code within 24 hours please check your junk folder.
Now, leave it with us. We'll investigate your report based on the information you’ve provided and get back to you within 48 hours, either with a crime reference number or, if we can’t take action, an explanation as to why and further advice.
We won't call you unless we need more information, to clarify something in your report or if there might be an opportunity to collect forensic evidence.
Every crime is different so every investigation is different, but any investigation starts with the same steps to make sure we have all the information we need.
What is the process when crime is reported online?
First, we’ll make sure that we’re the right people to investigate the crime. (Noise complaints, littering, fly tipping etc should all be reported to your local council, not the police).
If we are, we’ll then look at the information we've got and decide if we can investigate your report further. If we decide we can't investigate your report, we'll contact you to explain why. Our decision is based on four key factors:
- vulnerability of the victim (eg is the victim in danger?)
- seriousness of the crime
- likelihood of solving it
- best use of our resources
If we can investigate further, we'll take some initial steps. These could include:
- talking to witnesses
- assessing the crime scene
- checking CCTV or video footage
- gathering other evidence such as forensic samples
- searching our intelligence database (to see if other crimes have happened in the area, or if we hold information related to the case)
- After the initial investigation, there are two possible outcomes:
a: We’ll close the investigation
b. We’ll move forward with the investigation
When we’ve made a decision, we'll contact you to let you know.
If we close the investigation, it’s probably because we've completed our initial steps and there are no other leads we can follow at that time. Sometimes we get new information or discover new evidence, in which case we can reopen the investigation and update you. Whether or not this happens, your report and the information we have is valuable. It helps decide where and when we use police resources to track down and prevent crime.
If we move forward with the investigation, we’ll assign an investigating officer to you. They’ll be your contact during the investigation, answering your questions and keeping you updated. If you need to give a statement, they’ll talk you through it. In the unlikely event you need to go to court, they’ll introduce you to a member of the Witness Care Unit who'll guide you through each step of the process.
What if I need to add details to my report after I’ve submitted it?
Head to the ‘tell us about’ section of our website’s homepage and click ‘An existing case or report’. Click start on ‘Update a crime report’. You will need your incident reference number or receipt code to hand.
Can I request an update on a crime I’ve reported?
Yes, if you have a crime reference number, you can request an update by visiting this page on the force website.