Victims of crime in Nottinghamshire can now go online to report a crime or incident and track their investigation through to its conclusion, thanks to the launch of a new online service.
Nottinghamshire Police has adopted the Home Office’s national online crime reporting tool which allows victims of crime to report crimes and incidents that do not require an immediate police response at any time of day or night.
Since the service was first introduced in Nottinghamshire in April 2017, over 300 crimes and incidents have been reported online, including reports of thefts, criminal damage, traffic offences, antisocial behaviour, hate crimes and even historic sexual offences.
At the same time, Nottinghamshire Police has also adopted the national TrackMyCrime tool which allows victims of crime to register to receive updates from the officer investigating their case via a secure online portal.
Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable, Craig Guildford, said: “In the modern world people expect to be able to do things online, seeing it as faster and more convenient for their busy lives.
“That’s why we’ve been working hard over the past few months to introduce a seamless digital service that will allow those who want to get online to report a crime or incident and track the progress of their investigation to be able to do so.
“These new online services are all about making our service more accessible to the public we serve by offering a secure, easy-to-use platform as another option for victims of crime who find doing business online more comfortable and convenient, depending on their own personal circumstances and situation.”
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Paddy Tipping, added: “One of the most important things to any victim of crime is being kept up-to-date with progress. I’m pleased to see that
TrackMyCrime is now available to people, providing a way for them to keep up to date with developments in their case easily and at a time to suit them.
“Not unreasonably, people expect to be able to access what they need, when they want it, online, on their phone and on their tablet.
“The addition of these two services is convenient for those who prefer digital communication but it’s important to stress that of course people are still able to pick up the phone and talk to someone if they wish to. This is about broadening the way in which services are provided and giving people a choice.”
The Home Office’s online reporting tool has been designed to respond to victims’ answers as they progress through the reporting process to ensure that only non-emergency crime and incidents are reported online and that matters requiring an urgent police response are highlighted.
The form’s design also ensures that all reports contain enough information for officers to be able to act upon the information they receive at the first point of contact, without having to request clarification or additional information from victims.
Once a victim has made their report using the secure online service, the report is reviewed by Nottinghamshire Police’s Control Room before an appropriate response is coordinated in a similar way to reports made via the 101 non-emergency phone service.
Where a response is required, victims will be contacted either by phone or email within 24 hours.
For more information about the range of Nottinghamshire Police services available online and for advice on who to contact to report an incident, visit www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/advice
The online crime reporting tool is intended only for non-emergency crimes or incidents where no urgent police response is required. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, the crime is happening now or the offender is still nearby, you should always call 999.