How to file a Police Report
Filing a police report is a very simple process. It should not take much time, and it is the
beginning of the process of finding a satisfactory solution to your problem. The Danbury Police Department urges any resident who falls victim to a crime, regardless of his or her immigration status, to report the crime immediately. It is not the policy of the Danbury Police Department to question the legal or citizenship status of the victim of a crime.
Procedure:
To file a report, all you need to do is contact the police department’s routine phone number and explain your problem and how you need help. An officer may then be dispatched to your residence, your place of business or your current location. In some instances, you may be instructed to come to the Police Department to file your report. We would ask you to come to the police station to report incidents that took place a long time ago or if you wished to be discreet about a particular incident. Seldom are complaints taken over the phone. An exception would be very minor incidents, which require no further follow up.
In most instances, a Police Officer will respond to your location to take the report. Depending upon the type of call, the reporting process should be fairly short. Please note that a police report is considered a legal document; complete and accurate information should be provided. The officer will ask several questions, and make detailed notes. You should be able to furnish the responding officer with the pertinent information including your full name, street address, (including city, state and zip code), your date of birth and both home and work phone numbers. This information must be accurate, as we may need a way of contacting you if we have any follow-up questions, if we find your property or if we arrest a suspect in your case.
If your case involves some type of property, please attempt to have all information available prior to the officer’s arrival. This information should include the type of item(s), brand, model number, serial number, color, value and a complete and detailed description. The officerwill then write a final report after leaving. You may obtain a copy of your police report from the Danbury Police Departments Records Division after the patrol officer has completed it and the shift commander has approved it. This usually takes about three days. Any initial questions concerning your report should be directed to the officer that took the initial report. If a detective is assigned to your case, you will be notified. From that point on, the detective would be responsible for answering any further questions.
If you become the victim of a crime in another city or town, you should immediately notify the police department within that jurisdiction, as they will be the only ones available to act on your complaint. It should be noted that police officers have an array of responsibilities, especially serving a thriving and culturally diverse community like Danbury. It is the dispatchers’ job to decide which calls are the most important based upon several key elements. Officers need to handle the following problems before they can respond to take your report:
-Crimes in progress -Emergency medical aid • Suspected criminal activity
• Burglary and robbery alarms
• Other report calls which came in before your call
Once your report has been filed, you will be given an incident number, which is generated by a computer on a daily basis. Hundreds of incident numbers are created every day. You will need this number if you wish to receive a copy of your incident report.
Filing a police report is free; however, getting a copy of that report does cost money. This fee covers administrative costs for pulling, photocopying, clerical staff, etc.
To obtain copies of police reports, contact the records division, which is located inside the front foyer of the police department. The records division is open on Mondays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesdays through Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
To request police assistance, please contact the Danbury Police Department routine telephone line at (203) 797- 4611, to report an emergency dial 911, or to obtain copies of reports, please call the Records Division at (203)797- 4660.
