B.C. RCMP roll out online reporting tool, starting in Surrey
Posted June 16, 2019 11:54 am.
Last Updated June 17, 2019 5:11 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Surrey RCMP is the first detachment to test a new online crime reporting tool, with proposed tests in three other B.C. communities coming later this summer.
The RCMP says the pilot project will allow people to report some non-emergency crimes online in Surrey, freeing up time for frontline personnel to respond to higher priority calls and emergencies.
According to a statement, the B.C. RCMP receives more than a million calls for service every year, amounting to nearly half the total received by the RCMP across Canada.
Residents of the four pilot communities will be able to use the online tool to report crimes such as theft or vandalism amounting to less than $5,000, provided there are no items involving personal identity, firearms, or license plates.
Chief Superintendent Dave Attfield says several B.C. RCMP detachments tested the tool a few years ago, and improvements have been made since then.
He says if the system is successful in Surrey, then Ridge Meadows, Kelowna and Richmond, the tool will be used in communities across B.C. that are policed by the RCMP.
