MELFORT 鈥� The Saskatchewan RCMP is pilot launching an online crime reporting tool, which will allow residents with an email to report select crimes.
The website went live in Melfort on March 1, after being selected as a city to try out the pilot by the Saskatchewan RCMP headquarters. Other areas with an active online crime reporting tool include Swift Current, Yorkton and Kindersley.
On March 8, the website goes live in Humboldt and Spiritwood. As of March 15, it is set to go live across Saskatchewan.
Crimes which can be reported with the tool include damage/mischief to property under $5,000; theft of bicycle under $5,000, theft under $5,000; theft from vehicle under $5,000; lost or found property; and damage/mischief to vehicle under $5000.
Crimes must also fit the criteria of having no witnesses or suspects, item(s) lost or stolen must cost less than $5,000, vandalized property that will cost less than $5,000 to repair, and there are no items involving personal identity, firearms, license plates or decals
While crimes can be reported anytime through the website, it will only be checked between Monday to Friday during standard business hours.
Cpl. Kyle Wyonzek, with the Melfort RCMP, said there are a couple goals with the program. One is to free up staff to focus on more timely or pressing matters.
鈥淚t鈥檚 events that aren鈥檛 ongoing and doesn鈥檛 need an immediate police response,鈥� Wyonzek said.
鈥淪ome complaints there won鈥檛 be able to do any follow-ups, and we鈥檙e just taking it for information purposes, but depending on the circumstances of the complaint, there could definitely be follow-up on the file.鈥�
The second goal is to help make people feel more comfortable reporting crimes that they would have otherwise felt they didn鈥檛 want to take up police time and resources.
鈥淭hey may not feel there is anything they can do, so they may not take up a police officer鈥檚 time in reporting it,鈥� he said.
鈥淪ome minor damage to something, or a theft of minor property, or graffiti on a fence, or something like that. If they鈥檙e willing to go online to report the events, there may not be anything we can do with it, but our crime stats will indicate it.鈥�
Wyonzek said with any new technology there鈥檚 challenges, but the biggest one right now is informing the public of its availability.
To inform the public, the detachment will be placing posters around Melfort instructing community members on how to use the tool. When it goes live across the province, the provincial RCMP is expected to increase social media awareness on the tool.
鈥淭here are going to be hiccups, there always is with new programs, and that鈥檚 why there are only the minor complaints that aren鈥檛 ongoing,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want something that鈥檚 ongoing or happening at the time. We still expect people or want people to call 911 with those.鈥�
Wyonzek assured that this will not replace anything, but simply serve as an additional tool for reporting crime.
When an online report is filed, it will first go to the RCMP provincial data centre. From there, it will be sent directly to the detachment. If a detachment鈥檚 supervisor feels there is a follow-up to be made, it will be assigned to a general duty investigator.聽
鈥淚t may take a day. If you reported yesterday it may not be done until this morning or later on in the day depending on how busy they are. Then as soon as I see it or one of the supervisors see it at the detachment it will either be concluded or assigned a follow-up.鈥�
The online crime reporting tool can be accessed at https://ocre-sielc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/saskatchewan.
Reports take about 15 minutes to complete.
