How to report a crime

You can report a crime by contacting your local police station. You can find the telephone number of your local police station in the phone book or by dialling directory enquiries.

You can also click on the Police Scotland link below to access their website and find out how to report minor non-urgent crimes on line.

In some areas, if you have been the victim of a racial or homophobic crime, you can report it without going to a police station. This is called “Remote Reporting” or “Third Party Reporting”. This type of reporting allows you to report the matter to a third party organisation that in turn forwards it to the police. This organisation may also be able to offer support and advice to you or let you know of an organisation that can offer this support and advice. This organisation can also act as a link between the victim and the police. If you want to find out which organisations in your area offer this type of service, you can contact your local police headquarters anonymously or access your police force’s website.

Tell the police exactly what has happened. Something that might seem like a small detail could be important. The more you tell the police the more help you will be giving them to solve the crime. If you have any worries, especially about your safety, you should let the police know.

If you have a solicitor, they should also be able to help.

Sometimes there is a limited time period during which proceedings for an offence may be started against a person.