Reporting a crime

If you’ve been a victim of crime, you’ll need to decide whether or not to tell the police.

It’s okay to feel unsure about this or worry about what will happen if you do. You might think that the police won’t care. Maybe you’ve had a bad experience with the police in the past. Or perhaps you’re worried that if you talk to the police, it will only make things worse. There are positive reasons for reporting a crime. Remember that the police deal with all sorts of crime every day; they should treat everybody fairly and equally, and put your safety first.

If you report the crime, there’s more chance that the offender will be caught or brought to justice for what they’ve done. The police also keep records of all reported crime and this information goes into government statistics and reports. These can change the way crime is dealt with by the police and other parts of the criminal justice system.

If you do decide to report a crime to South Wales Police then you’ll automatically be put in touch with South Wales Victim Focus. Remember that we’ll give you help and support whether you decide to involve the police or not. Find out how to contact us.

How to report a crime

You can report a crime in several ways:

• If it’s an emergency and the crime is still taking place, call 999 and ask for the police.
• If it is not an emergency, call 101 to report it. Do not call 999. This doesn’t mean the crime is not important – it just helps the police to make the best use of their resources.
• You can go to your local police station and report the crime there. You can find the address and telephone number in the local telephone directory or on the South Wales Police website. Check what time your local police station is open, as some police stations are not open all the time.