HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point police department now has a new way for citizens to report problems, it's for non-emergencies only and should help free up officers, according to the department.
Gone are the days when High Point residents would call the department or go down to the station to file a police report, it can now be done on a phone or computer. Monday the station launched its new online reporting service that allows people to file police reports online.
A report can now be filed on the department's website. The page lists all types of incidents it accepts. The list includes incidents like auto & structure breaking and entering, lost property or license plate, fraud & internet-based scams and many more.
Lt. Charles Brackett with the High Point police department stresses the new system is not for reporting emergencies where safety is a concern.
"For the most part its property type crimes that are no longer in progress that have been discovered late. And in many of these incidents are things where people really just need a report number for their bank, for an affidavit to their bank, or a report number for their insurance," explained Lt. Brackett.
Lt. Brackett said the new system takes out the middleman, which in this case is the police officer.
"That frees that patrol officer up for those emergency calls for service, for those in progress crimes, the things were the officer really can make a difference," Lt. Brackett continued, "it allows us to maximize the effectiveness of the resources that we have."
Both Greensboro and Winston-Salem police departments have similar online reporting systems. Monday afternoon HPPD said it already received several reports filed online.