Roanoke Sun

City of Salem issued the following announcement on Sept. 7

Salem Police Department is pleased to announce a new agency initiative that will allow citizens to file some police reports online. The system is for incidents that occur within the city limits of Salem.

The Police to Citizen Online Reporting System will allow the public to conveniently report non-emergency incidents. This service, hopefully, will decrease the volume of calls to the 911 center that are not emergencies. In turn, this should allow our officers to increase their neighborhood presence, enhance their outreach and bolster the department’s overall community policing efforts.

This system allows citizens to file non-emergency police reports in cases where an immediate danger to persons or property does not exist and where suspect information isn’t needed. Issues such as animal nuisance, vandalism, thefts, vehicle burglary, fraud, identity theft, lost property and suspicious circumstances may be reported at the convenience of the citizen 24 hours a day. Incidents such as hit and runs, motor vehicle accidents, missing persons, juvenile runaways, and other emergencies, such as violent crimes, should immediately be reported to 911 or to the Salem Police Department at 375-3078.

The online reporting system should not be used to report emergencies or crimes in progress and citizens are still welcome to call and request to meet with or talk with an officer by telephone for any of the crimes listed above.

This initiative will allow an additional opportunity for citizens to practice physical distancing and report some incidents online without requiring in-person contact with an officer. All reports filed using the online reporting option will be reviewed by department officials. If more information is needed after review, the complainant will be contacted by police department personnel to gain additional details. Free system reports also can be printed by the complainant.

“Captain Crouse and the City of Salem’s Technology Department are truly responsible for bringing this to fruition,” says Salem Police Chief, Mike Crawley. “Their collaborative efforts have created a valuable tool for all of our citizens, especially during the ongoing pandemic when communications are often strained.”

The Police to Citizen Online Reporting System is available through this link at the top left on the Salem Police Department’s website at police.salemva.gov and it can be accessed on any desktop or mobile device. For more information about the online reporting option please contact the Salem Police Department at 375-3078.

Original source can be found here.