Reporting a crime
If a crime is happening or you are worried about your safety, or someone else’s safety, call 111 and ask for police.
If you have been a victim of crime, call the Victims of Crime Information Line on 0800 650 654 to find out about support agencies in your area or call Victim Support on 0800 VICTIM (842 846).
To report a crime that is not an emergency, you can call or visit your local police station and talk to the officer on duty.
When you report a crime, a police officer will record what you say, and give you a Complaint Acknowledgement Form with a number. The form and the number are important so you can be updated on your case, and for other matters like making an insurance claim.
You will also be assigned a police officer in charge of your case. You can contact them to find out what is happening with your case. Your officer in charge will put you in touch with Victim Support, a national organisation providing support to victims of crime and trauma, or other specialist support agencies depending on your needs.
You can take a support person with you when you report a crime.
It can be helpful to have support when you report a crime. You can take a support person with you, or contact a support agency, who can arrange for a support worker to meet you when you report the crime.
When you report a crime, the first priority for police is the safety of you and your family and whänau.
For some types of crime, for example domestic violence, sexual violence and homicide, the process and support available when the crime is reported may be slightly different.
Domestic violence
If police have been called to an incident of domestic violence and do not make an arrest, they may issue a police safety order to protect you. The safety order requires that the person issued with the order not return to the house for up to five days. If the safety order is breached, the person can be arrested and taken to court, where a judge may issue a temporary protection order. A protection order sets conditions that the person must follow. They can be arrested if they do not follow the conditions. Even if you have not reported a crime, if you feel that there is a danger of domestic violence, you can apply for a protection order through the Family Court.
Women’s Refuge or agencies like Victim Support can help you apply for a protection order. Call Women’s Refuge on 0800 REFUGE (733 843) or the Victims of Crime Information Line on 0800 640 654 to find out about agencies in your area.
Sexual violence
If you are reporting a sexual violence crime, you can speak to a specially trained police officer and you can also ask to talk to a male or female police officer. Police will also put you in touch with a specialist crisis response agency in your area that can support you when you report the crime, and right through the process.
Homicide
In the case of homicide, which is when a person is killed by another person, a police victim liaison officer will be assigned to work with your family and whänau. They will also refer you to the Victim Support Homicide Support Service that can support your family and whänau right through the process.
