Reporting Crime to Coquitlam RCMP

Reporting Crime

Coquitlam RCMP is an intelligence-led police agency.  That means that we focus our resources where intelligence tells us they will have the most positive impact on public safety.  But without accurate, timely information about what's going on in your neighbourhood, we don't have all the intelligence we need. There are three simple things that you can do to make intelligence-led policing work:

• Get connected to your neighbourhood.  When you know the people, vehicles & activities that are normal in your area it's easier to spot suspicious activity if it happens.
• Pay attention to your environment. Whether you're at home, at work, at school or anywhere in between, it pays to stay alert. Put away your cell phone, unplug your headphones & tune in to what's going on around you.
• If you SEE something, SAY something.  If you see criminal or suspicious activity call us.  We may not send an officer to investigate immediately but without your information we have no way of knowing what is going on in your area.

How to Report Crime

There are several options for anyone wanting to report criminal or suspicious activity to the Coquitlam RCMP. All of them are available 24 hours/day 7 days/week.

9-1-1 is for emergencies ONLY. 

An emergency is when lives are in danger, a serious crime is in progress or police are needed immediately.

Examples of 9-1-1 calls for police:

• An immediate threat to a person or property (e.g., shots fired).
• A serious crime is in-progress or has just happened & a suspect may still be on scene (e.g., a drug deal or a robbery). 
• 9-1-1 FAQs.

The Coquitlam RCMP non-emergency/general information line (604-945-1550) and Online Crime Reporting

Examples of non-emergency calls for police:

• A crime has been committed but there are no suspects at the scene & no immediate danger to people or property (e.g., vehicle or property break-in discovered after-the-fact, a fraud). 
• An on-going or chronic criminal activity where suspects are not currently at scene (e.g., vandalism, drug deals).
• A suspicious circumstance that may be an indication of criminal activity (e.g., you think your neighbours might have a residential grow operation).
• A hate crime or hate incident, including those with no safety risks, no physical evidence, and no identifiable suspects

Examples of Online Crime Reporting:

• you have no witness nor suspect
• you have lost something that costs less than $5000
• someone has stolen something from you that costs less than $5000
• someone has vandalized your property or vehicle and it will cost less than $5000 to repair it
• there are no items involving personal identity, firearms, licence plates or decals
• you want to report a driving complaint that is not in progress

If you have any information related an incident, please contact the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550.

Anyone wishing to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers:

• Phone: 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS)
• Online: Link to www.solvecrime.ca
• SMS: Text: BCTIP and your message to CRIMES (274637)
• Facebook. Link to Facebook.

9-1-1 Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect when I call to report something?

• You can expect to be asked a lot of detailed questions. Call-takers are professionals, trained to lead you through an established set of questions to make sure our investigators have all the information needed about the incident you’re reporting.
• The best thing you can do is remain calm and answer each question as clearly as you can and in as much detail as possible.

An example of some of the questions you will be asked:

• Your name.
• You address or the closest intersection. Unlike landlines, if you are calling from a cell or internet phone, location information is not automatically provided.
• A phone number you can be reached at in case you are disconnected the call taker can call you back. 
• Details of the incident. The more information you can provide the better, such as the suspect’s description and vehicle information if applicable.

What do I do if I accidentally dial 9-1-1?

• Stay on the line, do not hang up.
• Our call takers must confirm the callers well-being. If you hang up before your well-being has been confirmed, call takers must try and return your call. If we are unable to reach you by phone, a police officer may be deployed to confirm your safety. This takes resources away from legitimate 9-1-1 calls.

Tips to avoid misdialing 9-1-1

• Lock your phone.
• Don’t program 9-1-1 into your phone. Instead, program our non-emergency number, 604-945-1550.
• Don’t call 9-1-1 to test it. Trust us, it works.

Can Coquitlam RCMP take crime reports from people who don't speak English?

• Yes. 9-1-1 has interpreters available in 170 languages and our local team offers a range of language skills as well for non-emergency reporting.

Know someone who doesn’t speak English fluently? Share these two simple tips with them to help them in case they are ever in need of emergency services:

1. Encourage them to learn the English word for the language they do speak (i.e., learn to say "Spanish" instead of "Espanol").
2. Teach them the English words for "police", "fire" and "ambulance". Knowing those three words in English will help speed up the process of finding an interpreter and getting the help they need.