It’s all about adding convenience for Delta residents rather than managing call volumes for the Delta Police Department.
That’s how Police Chief Neil Dubord described his department’s Online Reporting (OR) tool for the community to file electronic reports on non-emergency matters, a service launched last year on the DPD website.
The OR system is somewhat restrictive in the types of reports it accepts and currently only accepts reports on vandalism, fraud under $5,000, lost and found property, community concerns and traffic incidents.
Dubord told the Delta Police Board at its Oct. 20th meeting that the online reporting tool aims to provide flexibility and options in reporting crime and enhances efficiency within DPD, but it’s not aimed at “triaging” reports or freeing up police resources.
All calls for service reported through the system are reviewed and dispatched for officer attendance and the flow of a call through the system is the same as a call to the non-emergency line, with no reports concluded digitally.
The public can still call the non-emergency line at 604-946-4411 and Dubord noted many older residents still prefer calling by phone.
His report to the board also notes the OR system adds value to the DPD’s “No Call Too Small” philosophy.
During the first year of operation (Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021), the DPD received 255 online reports.
His report notes 209 were received from January to September 2021, with an average of 23 reports received monthly.
However, the numbers have stabilized, he said, adding the online tool could probably be better promoted.
Dubord said the department did consider having an App created but, at this time, such an investment would not be justified based on the number of online reports received.
His report to the board notes concerns about E-Comm dispatch call wait times is another reason to promote more use of the online tool.
“The OR system is a valuable tool and the DPD will be looking for methods to further encourage and promote the use of the OR system, where applicable, to alleviate some of the delays our community faces when calling the non-emergency line (answered by E-Comm),” his report states.
The online reporting is accessible through the front page of the department’s website at: deltapolice.ca.
