Airdrie RCMP is one of three detachments now allowing certain crime reports to be submitted online as part of a new pilot project by Alberta RCMP.
Using a new online crime reporting tool, available at at ocre-sielc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/alberta, residents can report select crimes to the detachment using the Internet.
“We’re hopeful this will complement our existing framework with the operational communications centres that deal with the more serious calls," said Cpl. Deanna Fontaine, media relations officer for Alberta RCMP. "It will lighten their load a bit so they’re able to focus their energy on the more serious calls.”
The online tool is intended for reporting less serious crimes, Fontaine said. Those include lost property and several types of crime under $5,000, including damage to property, theft of a bicycle, theft from a vehicle and other thefts.
Incidents must satisfy certain criteria before they can be reported online. There cannot be a witness or suspects in the incident, and lost or stolen property must cost less than $5,000. Additionally, any vandalized property cannot exceed $5,000 to repair. Crimes involving personal identity, firearms, licence plates or decals cannot be reported online.
“[This tool is for] less serious crimes, Fontaine said. “For the other ones, we would still want a member of the RCMP to respond and to interview witnesses in real time.”
According to RCMP, all online reports will be followed up with a phone call from a police officer within five business days.
The online reporting tool is available in both English and French. The website requires a name, address, phone number and email address before a crime can be reported.
According to Fontaine, it should take roughly 15 minutes to submit a report.
“Sometimes, people won’t bother reporting something because they think it’s so minor that it’s not worth the time and effort to call and submit all the information,” Fontaine said. “But it really doesn’t take a lot of time [to use this tool], so we would encourage people, if they had their vehicle rifled through overnight and had something small stolen, to report it."
Fontaine said the website will provide more accurate crime data within the detachments and allow RCMP resources to be deployed in the areas that need it most. She added the new resource will reduce wait times for reporting crimes over the phone and provide a more convenient option to submit certain reports.
“Otherwise, [people] would be phoning and often be put on hold, because we prioritize our calls for service that go into our call centres,” she said. “Even though you might call an RCMP complaint line, it might be that the 911 calls are also going to the same telecoms operator, so your call for a property crime might be put on hold for a while, while a crime against a person or an urgent injury call is being dispatched first.”
The program is the result of years of consultation and feedback, she added.
“Generally speaking, over the years, people have asked for different ways to be able to report crimes to the RCMP,” she said.
Grand Prairie and Red Deer are the only other jurisdictions beside Airdrie included in the Phase 1 of the pilot project, which began June 1. Phase 2 will launch June 8, with Cold Lake, Banff and Strathcona County joining the project. The rest of the province will join in Phase 3, which is scheduled for June 15.
Fontaine added Alberta RCMP encourages the public to submit any feedback they have about the tool, either through their own local detachment or Alberta RCMP’s online channels.
