Reporting a crime to the police

When should I call 999?

Call 999 and ask for police if you or someone else is in immediate danger, there is a serious risk of harm, or a crime is happening now.

Do not use 999 simply because a crime is serious if there is no immediate danger or ongoing emergency. In that situation, use a non emergency reporting route instead.

Read more about reporting a crime in an emergency.

If you cannot speak during an emergency

If you are in danger but cannot speak, call 999. Listen to the operator and, if prompted, press 55. This tells the operator that it is a genuine emergency and the call should be transferred to police.

If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you may be able to use 18000 or text 999 through the emergency SMS service. You must register your mobile number before using the emergency SMS service.

For more information, see how to make a silent 999 call and Police.uk contact options.

How do I report a non-emergency?

If there is no immediate danger, you can usually:

If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can use the non emergency textphone service on 18001 101.

Check before travelling to a police station. Not every station has a public reporting desk or is open for walk in reports.

Use Police.uk to find your local force and reporting options.

What can I report to police?

A crime is conduct that the law makes criminal. You can report a suspected crime to police even if you are not sure what the legal name for it is.

Police will assess the information you provide. Some concerns may be dealt with by another organisation, such as a local authority, housing provider, school, safeguarding service, regulator or civil court. If police are not the right service, ask where else you can get help.

Avoid describing crimes as “major” or “minor”. What matters first is whether anyone is in danger, whether a crime is in progress, and what support or protection may be needed.

You can report a crime, hate crime or hate incident. Police will assess the information and decide what should be recorded and what action is appropriate.

What information should I give police?

Tell police as much as you can remember. You do not need to know every detail before reporting.

They may ask:

If you cannot answer a question, say so. It is better to say that you do not know or cannot remember than to guess.

Do I need evidence before I report a crime?

No. You can report a crime without evidence. Tell police what you know, what you saw or heard, and why you are concerned.

If you already have relevant material, preserve it where possible. For example, keep messages, emails, call logs, photographs, videos, documents, receipts or links to online posts. Make a note of dates, times, usernames and witnesses.

Do not put yourself at risk to gather evidence. Do not confront a suspect, access another person’s account or device without permission, or edit, crop, delete or alter original material. Police can advise on how to provide digital material safely.

Is there a time limit for reporting a crime?

You can report a crime even if it happened a long time ago. Reporting can still help police understand risk, identify patterns, protect other people and consider whether any action is possible.

Whether someone can be prosecuted may depend on the offence and any legal time limit. For many summary only offences, the general rule is that proceedings must begin within six months of the alleged offence, unless another law provides a different time limit. Do not assume that every lower level offence has the same time limit.

The general six month rule is in section 127 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980. If a possible prosecution time limit is important, get legal advice.

Do I have to report a crime?

Most people are not under a general legal duty to report a crime. However, some people may have safeguarding, workplace, professional, regulatory or contractual duties to report concerns, especially where a child or adult at risk may be harmed.

If you are worried about someone’s immediate safety, call 999. If you are unsure whether to report, you can speak to a specialist support service or get legal advice.

Can I report information anonymously?

You can give information anonymously to Crimestoppers. Its reporting service is designed to be anonymous and does not ask for your name or personal details.

Crimestoppers is not an emergency service. Do not use it if someone is in immediate danger or a crime is happening now: call 999 instead.

Crimestoppers is also different from reporting directly to police. If you are a victim and need police protection, support, updates or a crime reference number, report directly to police through 999, 101 or your local force’s online reporting service.

Reporting fraud and cybercrime

For fraud and cybercrime, use the current national reporting route provided by Action Fraud.

If money is being taken from your account, you have sent money to a suspected fraudster, or your card or bank details may be at risk, contact your bank immediately. Use the number on the back of your card, your bank’s official app, or its official website. Do not use a telephone number or link sent by an unexpected caller, text or email.

If you believe a fraud is happening now and someone is at immediate risk, call 999.

What happens after I report a crime?

The police should first check whether they are the right force to deal with the report. They will assess what has happened, any immediate risk, vulnerability, the seriousness of the report and the information available.

They may record the report as a crime, an incident or another type of report. Recording a crime and investigating it are separate decisions. Recording does not guarantee that police will be able to identify a suspect or obtain enough evidence for a charge. However, reporting can help police understand risk, identify patterns and decide what action is needed.

You may be given a crime reference number or incident number. Keep it safe. Ask:

Police use national rules when deciding whether to record a notifiable offence. Read the Home Office Crime Recording Rules and Police.uk guidance on what happens after reporting a crime.

Can I get support without reporting to police?

Yes. You can get emotional, practical and specialist support even if you do not make a police report. This may include support after domestic abuse, sexual violence, stalking, hate crime, child abuse, fraud or another crime.

You can decide whether and when to report, unless a professional has a separate legal, safeguarding or regulatory duty to share information. A support service can explain your options without forcing you to make a police report.

The Victims’ Code explains the services and minimum standards available to victims in England and Wales. It confirms that victims can access support whether or not they report the crime.

If you are worried about someone else

You can report a concern as a witness or someone who has information. Give police what you know, but do not put yourself or anyone else at risk to find out more.

If a child or adult at risk may be in immediate danger, call 999. You can also make a safeguarding referral to the relevant local authority, depending on the circumstances.

Further information

Important

This information applies to England and Wales. It is general information, not legal advice. If someone is in immediate danger or a crime is happening now, call 999. If you are affected by a crime, get support and seek independent legal advice where needed.