Two petty crimes a day reported in Kelowna with new online system | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kelowna News

Two petty crimes a day reported in Kelowna with new online system

Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK

KELOWNA - It’s been a month since Kelowna residents have been able to report petty crimes via the RCMP Online Crime Reporting tool, and so far it’s been a success, collecting what averages out to be two new reports a day.  

“I can confirm that the Kelowna Regional Detachment has processed over 60 online reports from residents across the Central Okanagan, since the launch of the Online Crime Reporting tool in late June,” Kelowna RCMP media liaison Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said.

“We can share that the average time a resident may spend submitting a report to police online, is in the vicinity of 15 to 20 minutes. Overall users have indicated that they are quite pleased with the convenience of the online system.”

O’Donaghey stressed that this online crime reporting tool does not replace the 911 system for emergencies and if someone needs police to attend a crime or call back, they need to call the non-emergency line to file a crime report.

“We also do not accept reports of crimes via email or social media,” he said. “Furthermore, we would like to discourage the public from submitting a false report to test the system, doing so causes unnecessary work for our support staff.”

The program was launched last month to enable the public to report non-emergency, mostly property related crimes that are not in progress or require no further follow-up by a police officer.

It also falls under one of the four prime goals in the local RCMP's Crime Reduction Strategy – this one being to “maximize the effectiveness of resources.” Up to 40 per cent of calls taken at the local detachment fall into low priority classifications.

Kelowna Supt. Brent Mundle said upon the system’s release that it exemplifies the RCMP’s efforts to actively modernize police operations in Kelowna and keep up with technological advances.

Police say residents and business owners in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland and Lake Country, with a valid email address, will be able to use the RCMP’s Online Crime Reporting Tool by using their computers, smartphones or tablets to report a crime that meets the following criteria:

• Your report will not require a follow up by a police officer; and
• You have no witness nor suspect;
• You have lost something that costs less than $5,000; and/or
• Someone has stolen something from you that costs less than $5,000; and/or
• Someone has vandalized your property or car and it will cost less than $5,000 to repair it; and
• There are no items involving personal identity, firearms, licence plates or licence plate validation decals

Other areas also involved in the project are Surrey, Richmond and Ridge Meadows (Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows).


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