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Police Launch Mobile Crime Reporting in Frederick County, Md.

The Frederick County, Md., Police Department has launched a new online reporting system that allows residents to file non-violent, non-emergency reports from their smartphone or computer.

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(TNS) — The Frederick Police Department has launched a new way for the community to file police reports for nonviolent crimes that do not require immediate intervention, according to Chief Jason Lando.

Rather than waiting for a police officer to file a report, community members can fill out a form on their phone or computer, then submit it, he said.

Lando said the new system, which began on June 20, benefits both the community and police officers.

Lt. Aaron Lapp, the commander of the Technology & Services Division, said the program is a tool to make lives easier, not a requirement.

If community members do not want to wait for an officer or prefer to not interact in person, the electronic form is an option. However, the police will send an officer to take a report if someone prefers, Lapp said.

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office also has an online reporting system. The public can report incidents such as destruction of property, drug crimes, fraud, harassment, hit-and-run crashes, lost property, traffic complaints, theft from a motor vehicle and vehicle tampering.

The form gives examples of the types of crimes, along with definitions of what is included and what is not.

Lapp said electronic reports made to Frederick police enter a holding inbox, and are viewed by a supervisor, who does a preliminary review of them.

The supervisor will decide if the report has enough detail or information to become a case. If it does not, the department will contact the person who complained to get more information, Lapp said.

The system has preventative measures to make sure reports are filed appropriately.

If there is an indication of certain situations, including ones happening at the time of the report, or serious crimes, like theft of a firearm, the person will be directed to call the police nonemergency number, according to Lapp.

The system makes sure that fields like time and date, elements essential to a report, are filled, he said.

If the report has enough information, the department will decide if it has enough to open an investigation or if it should close the case, Lapp said.

When a case is closed with no investigation, the person who filed the report is sent an email with the case number, which they can use to file an insurance claim or again contact the police, according to Lapp.

"More often than not, people using the system just need to make a police report, whether it's for insurance purposes or something," Lando said.

There have been 17 reports filed through the new system, according to Lapp.

It is only available in English, but Lapp said the department is talking with the vendor about other options.

Lando said he hopes that word will get out about the system and community members will begin to feel comfortable with the automation.

"[We'll] see if there's any tweaks or modifications that we need to make along the way," he said.

©2022 The Frederick News-Post, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.