Reporting a variety of crimes is getting easier for Pasco County residents through a new online reporting tool being used by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office recently upgraded the capabilities of its citizen online police reporting system to accept reports on a these types of incidents:
- Petit theft (less than $300)
- Petit theft bicycle (less than $300)
- Grand theft bicycle ($300 or more)
- Lost property
- Littering/illegal dumping
- Harassing phone calls
- Phone scam (without monetary loss)
The improved system will allow citizens to generate reports for these types of crimes at their own convenience, without having to wait for a deputy to arrive on scene.
Once they are reported, the incidents are investigated, and the sheriff’s office will determine the appropriate action to take and will execute it.
Reports can be filed online at PascoSheriff.com.
To file a report, citizens will be required to list the incident type and provide other relevant information, such as a brief description of what happened, along with any photos or videos that can be used to help solve a case.
Online reports will be reviewed during regular business hours.
All cases filed using the online police reporting system will be reviewed. Upon review, the sheriff’s office may reach out if further investigation is needed.
Citizens will receive a confirmation number upon completion of a report and will be notified if their case has been approved or rejected. If approved, citizens will be emailed a permanent case number.
“This is better for our citizens,” Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said. “There’s a lot of resources, a lot of things that go on, where (citizens) just need a case number, they just want a report number, but at the same time for our deputies, it saves us time and energy.”
Nocco said citizens still have the option to request deputies to respond on-scene, to those various types of incidents, instead of using the online reporting.
“No matter what, if you want a deputy to respond, we will send somebody out there accordingly,” Nocco said.
The sheriff also pointed out the online system is more efficient for the law enforcement agency in several instances — such as dealing with multiple department stores who consistently report lost or stolen property following routine inventory checks.
Those calls represent “a lot of work and a lot of resources,” Nocco said.
The expanded online reporting capabilities makes it more convenient for citizens who may not be interested in waiting for a deputy to arrive when they want to report a property crime, said Pasco Sheriff desk office supervisor Michael Toczylowski, who’s unit will handle the online caseloads.
“It’s great for the citizen where they don’t have to sit and wait for a deputy,” Toczylowski said, “because on a Friday or Saturday night when it’s busy, everybody’s coming home from work, there’s all sorts of incidents being reported, things are prioritized where (dispatchers) are going to send a deputy to a domestic disturbance first before coming to your house because somebody threw a rock at your car and broke a window.”
While the new system may improve convenience and efficiency, it should not be used when reporting violent crimes or when a suspect may still be at the scene of the crime, officials said.
Officials also urge residents to call 911 to report emergencies or life-threatening situations.
Published July 10, 2019
