The next time you witness vandalism, theft or a hit-and-run in your neighborhood, a new city website will give you an easier way to report non-emergency crimes to the Santa Maria Police Department.
“I feel like if you can’t get through to them through 911, it is actually great that you can take your laptop or phone to be able to contact them,” said Vashion Victor of Santa Maria.
On Tuesday, KSBY News reporter Jacob Dizon spoke with Victor about the city’s new crime reporting platform, and while she says it has been years since she has had to file a police report herself, she was reassured to hear about the new and faster way to do so.
“It takes a minute before you can get help or get police to come out, so I feel it is very convenient that you can just log on when those problems are occurring,” she added.
Santa Maria Police Commander Dan Cohen says the website is available in English and Spanish and allows you to report non-emergency crimes ranging from identity theft to harassing phone calls, malicious property damage, and more.
“The police department sends officers out to over 88,000 calls for service per year. Our hope is that community members using this platform will reduce the amount of calls that officers have to go to on occasion,” Commander Cohen explained.
Once a non-emergency crime is filed on the website, Cohen says you will receive a corresponding case number and copy of the police report for your records.
“Once community members make a report through the platform, it will send to one of our staff who will review it and approve it. If there are photographs or videos, those items will be booked into our evidence and kept,” he added.
He says people who submit a report will also be able to track its status online.
Kerrie Caldwell of Santa Maria believes the new platform will help her city feel more safe.
“We tend to have a lot of police calls and a lot of things going on. There was a shooting not too long ago,” Caldwell said. "I think it is great. I would feel more comfortable reporting something quickly, than having to take the time sitting on the phone and waiting for that whole process to go through.”
Commander Cohen says several hundred non-emergency crime reports have already been filed since the website’s soft launch a couple of months ago.
You can file a report with Santa Maria Police by clicking here: https://www.cityofsantamaria.org/services/departments/police-department/programs-forms/online-reporting
