News

City PD launches on-line crime reporting service

By Lightning Reports, Published: May 18, 2020

Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake announced a new  initiative that will allow citizens to file some police reports online. The system is for incidents that occur within the Hendersonville city limits.

“The Citizens’ Online Reporting System will allow the public to report non-emergency incidents at their convenience,” Blake said. “We believe this service will also assist in decreasing the call volume for non-emergency incidents, allowing our officers to focus more on increasing their presence in our neighborhoods to enhance outreach and community policing efforts.”

The system allows citizens to file non-emergency police reports in cases where there is no suspect information and no immediate danger to persons or property. Issues such as vandalism, graffiti, a vehicle break-in that happened overnight, found property and harassment, where the victim is not in immediate danger are examples of reports that can be submitted online should a citizen prefer to do so. Incidents such as hit and runs, motor vehicle accidents, missing persons, juvenile runaways, and other emergencies should immediately be reported to 911 or to Hendersonville Police Dispatch at 828-697-3025.

“During these extraordinary times this initiative will allow an additional opportunity for concerned citizens to practice physical distancing and report some incidents online without requiring in-person social contact with an officer,” Blake said. “We never want there to be any barriers to the services we provide.”

All reports filed using the citizens’ online reporting option will be reviewed by department officials. If more information is needed after that, the complainant will be contacted. The online reporting system should not be used to report emergencies or crimes in progress.

Reports can be printed by the complainant on this system as well. Citizens are still welcome to call and request to meet with or talk with an officer for any of the crimes listed above. Citizens are reminded that North Carolina General Statute 14-225 makes willfully and deliberately filing a false police report a Class 2 Misdemeanor.

The Citizens’ Online Reporting System is available on the department’s website at https://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/police-department and the Hendersonville Police Department’s app under the ‘Resources’ icon. The mobile app can be downloaded in the iOS App Store or Google Play Store by searching “Hendersonville PD.”