CoP: Online police reporting platform coming soon

IN AN effort to make the reporting of crimes easier and less stressful for victims, the police will be rolling out a new initiative to be able to report crimes from the comfort of their own home using a laptop or internet device.

The platform was announced during Thursday’s police media briefing at the Police Administration Building, Sackville Street, Port of Spain, in which Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said it would be used to make the process of reporting more convenient especially in cases where victims want their identities concealed as much as possible.

Citing the death of Tricia Allison Ramsaran who was killed at her Barrackpore home last Wednesday, Griffith said it was important victims of domestic violence were able to report crimes without fear and was confident the new platform would provide an added layer of security for the reporting process.

“I can understand the situation by some people because at times it can be a situation where people based on fear say they will just walk away and it’s no longer my problem, but it becomes a problem for another person who has to deal with the situation.

“If you see something say something, you have to be part of the solution. The introduction of online reporting is just an example of one of many things that can assist in the reduction of domestic violence and all major crime because the catalyst towards all crime reduction is the concept that there is no such thing as a perfect crime, people would have seen something.”

Police strategic advisor Dwight Andrews said online platform offered victims to report crimes by providing as much details as possible on the nature of the offence, without having to enter a police station.

He said once received the system would generate a digital receipt to the victim and investigators would contact the victim within six to twelve days.

Andrews said while he could not describe the technical information on the security features that would be used to protect the data and information provided by victims through this resource, he was optimistic it would be sufficient to stand up to cyber attacks and ensure victim confidentiality.

He also said in the first stage of the rollout, the platform would not be able to accept reports relating to traffic offences.

Andrews also said the platform was intended for use as a reporting mechanism for crimes that already happened, while more urgent reports of crimes in progress should be reported through the more traditional means of the 999 hotline and the police service mobile application.