Report crimes on internet
A scheme for reporting crimes to the police online is being rolled out.
PEOPLE who have been victims of crimes will now be able to make a "pre-report" to the police online.
The system has been trialled in the Yvelines, Charente-Maritime, Bas-Rhin and Haute-Garonne since 2008, and is to be rolled out next year. According to national information watchdog Cnil, it has been very well received.
The scheme is for crimes against property – which represent 90% of crimes – but not for attacks on people, for which, it is considered, immediate face-to-face contact with an officer is still indispensable. It is also not suitable for incidents where the person responsible is known.
The pre-report will allow the police to take note of the incident and arrange a date and time for a follow-up visit to the police station of the victim’s choice.
The latter will still be required, and the crime will not be officially recorded until the person attends to sign a document.
However, Alain Bauer, a criminologist who helped develop the system, told Le Figaro it would "make life much easier for police and gendarmes who can fix a meeting when they have time to give to the victims, and for the victims who will not have to queue". It will also reduce paperwork, he said.
The system will be optional.
