SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Police unveil online crime reporting system

By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
   Residents now can report certain types of crimes to police through an online reporting system, officials announced Wednesday.
   The department is using software from a California-based company called Coplogic that allows citizens to report certain nonviolent or “cold” complaints via the Internet in order to save time for the actual officers, Sgt. James Ryan said in a press release Wednesday.
   According to the release, the system has been operating through the municipality’s website for three weeks and already has filed 17 reports to police.
   Citizens can access the system by going to the township website, then clicking on departments, then police, then online reports, or click here
   Reports can be filed there for crimes such as harassing phone calls, identity theft, lost property, theft, theft from or vandalism to a vehicle and vandalism to property, according to the town’s website.
   Examples of crimes that cannot be reported online include violent crimes, sex crimes, crimes involving a weapon, violations of court orders, stolen or lost vehicles and license plates, according to the website.
   Once the report has been filed, it is assigned a temporary case number until it can be reviewed by a police officer. If the officer approves the report, it will be assigned a permanent case number, and police then will contact the complainant by e-mail to follow up and include a PDF file of the actual report, according to the release.
   The forms making up the online reports will consist of a series of short questions that will determine if the report can be accepted through the online system, Sgt. Ryan said in the release.
   ”The South Brunswick Police Department prides itself in their service to the public, but also expects this service to relieve pressure on dispatchers and officers while continuing to provide a high level of full-service policing to the community,” Sgt. Ryan said in the release.
   According to the Coplogic website, the software and other products it offers come from a partnership between a former police officer and software engineer.
   More than 100 agencies across the country use the online reporting software, including police in Paramus in Bergen County, according to the company’s website.
   Police do want to caution residents, however, that filing a false police report can be a fourth-degree crime and could be punished by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 18 months in jail, according to the Police Department’s website.
   All crimes that are nonemergencies, but cannot be reported through the system should be called in to the police station at 732-329-4646 or reported in person, according to the release.
   All emergencies should be reported by dialing 911, according to police.