Report A Non-Emergency Crime Online

When she walked out to her parked car by Smith Warehouse last month, Lee Cahow immediately noticed something different. The wheels of her Volvo were missing three of its four center hubs, small pieces that fit into a hubcap.Cahow wanted to report the incident to the Duke University Police Department, so she went to the Duke Police website and filled out an online report. Since her missing center hubs didn't warrant an emergency, she said completing the online form was an easy course of action."I think it's a marvelous idea because you're not tying up an officer who could be dealing with something a lot more serious," said Cahow, a monographic original cataloger with Duke Libraries' Cataloging and Metadata Services department. "It was a great time saver for me, and it gives Duke Police something they can file immediately and have on record."The goal of the recently launched online report form is to offer a new way for Duke community members to notify Duke Police of non-emergency situations. Suggested incidents include thefts, vandalism, suspicious activity or inappropriate behaviors. John Dailey, chief of Duke Police, said that the form is beneficial because it adds another way for the department to be in touch with the people it serves. "Being able to receive online reports not only helps the person filling out the report, because they can complete it at their own convenience, but it also helps the our department be more efficient," Dailey said. "When we receive a report, it's automatically filed, and we're able to immediately arrange for an officer to follow up on the report." Dailey said students, faculty, staff and community members can still reach Duke Police 24/7 by calling (919) 684-2444 or calling 911 to report emergencies.When completing the online form, a person can provide a variety of information, including the type of incident, important details and the value of items reported lost, stolen or damaged. The form also asks for a person's name, contact information and affiliation with Duke. After completing the report, a reference number is issued, and that can then be used at Duke Police's online crime report database to print a copy of a report."This is just one more way we're working to better serve the Duke community," Dailey said.