There are a plethora of resources on the internet which provide anybody with the ability to report crime in an anonymous manner. However, deciding which resources to use at any given time can be confusing. In this guide, I will provide resources available to anybody that aid in anonymous crime reporting. This will be a United States centric article, as that is where I reside and can confirm my information to be meritable.
First and foremost, one should know how to report locally based crimes to their local authorities. For any ongoing crime that merits a need for a quick response, one should call 911 (or its respective counterpart for other countries). During a 911 call, one can elect to tell the dispatch agents they wish to remain anonymous. However, the person making the call should still provide full details including people, weapons, vehicles, streets, and locations involved.
Further, to report a local crime to a sheriff’s department, one can either call the station (and again, elect to remain anonymous) or one can fill out a document from the respective sheriff department’s website. In most cases, simply googling a local sheriff department plus “report a crime anonymously” will provide a user with a form to do so.
Another great source that works with law enforcement to provide people with a resource to report incognito is Crimestoppers. There are localized versions of Crimestoppers, but there is also an overarching website/tip-line.
- The national tip-line: 1-800-222-Tips (8477)
- They also provide a link to report crimes in both the U.S. and several other countries through the P3 Global Intel Resource: https://www.p3tips.com/Drill.aspx
Nationally, one should report to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) or to the Department of Justice. One should usually report to the FBI for violations of U.S. federal law.
- The Online Tips and Public Leads form is used to report federal crimes and/or terrorist activity: https://tips.fbi.gov/contact
- On this form, the individual reporting has the option to decline to provide their own identity
- One should report online cybercrime such as fraud or a cybercrime to this link: https://ic3.gov/
The Department of Justice also has a plethora of resources that link to where to report different types of crime.
Out of any of these, Crime Stoppers is the most anonymous. Further, one should keep in mind that by electing to remain anonymous, they are also removing themselves as a witness for a court case involving a suspect of a reported crime. During a trial, the defendant is permitted to know the names and statements of any witness relevant to the case. This is because the prosecution is required to be transparent about this information to both the defendant and the defense team. However, by electing to remain anonymous, many state courts will not reveal the identity of a special witness, who is referred to as a confidential informant.
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Originally written by Spectral Hawk