City Council Directs LAPD to Accept Online Police Reports

The City Council unanimously approved a motion March 19 instructing the Los Angeles Police Department to develop a system to facilitate online filing of police reports.

Councilmember Mitch Englander introduced the motion in February of 2013 to further modernize the Department’s website, LAPDonline.org by enabling the Los Angeles Police Department and the public to file police reports online. Currently the Department’s website offers a great deal of important information such as crime mapping and submitting anonymous tips, but it does not provide a way to file a police report electronically. One of the largest administrative tasks for the police department, as well as the public, is the filing of police reports.

"Los Angeles must continue to be on the cutting edge of new technologies,” Englander said. “I am very pleased that the City Council approved this motion which will not only increase efficiency, but will make our streets safer. This motion will allow our police officers to spend less time filling out paperwork and more time protecting our citizens.”

A public information officer told Patch on Tuesday, March 26 that implementing the process is still a long way to becoming a reality throughout L.A.

While the system will be new to the LAPD to be implemented citywide, it is already being used by police at California State University Northridge, which already has an online report filing program in operation. The electronic filing system allows police reports to be submitted immediately and makes a digital copy available for printing at no charge. The reports can then also be shared with an insurance company if necessary.

District 11 City Councilman Bill Rosendahl told Patch Wednesday he's totally for the system.

"It's a step in the right direction in this digital age," he said, noting it will benefit all parties involved in the communications process to use an application to send a report. "Our folks are extremely engaged with the use of new media."

The system will be available for use only on lower level crimes. More serious incidents like violent crimes, sexual assaults, hate crimes, and missing persons will continue to be filed over the phone or in person.

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