How to Report Something Illegal Anonymously

You always have the right to report illegal activities anonymously.

Reporting illegal activity can be a daunting prospect. Many people fail to report crimes to the local authorities because they are afraid that they may be forced to appear in court or that their identities will be revealed to the people they are reporting. The truth is that you cannot be forced to testify, and police investigations are designed to protect the identities of informants. For an extra layer of security, you can provide an anonymous tip.

Instructions

1. Locate the webpage for your local law enforcement agency. This can be a city police station, campus police station or county sheriff's office. Most sites will have an online form as well as a phone number for submitting anonymous tips.

2. Call the phone number if the illegal activity is time-sensitive or occurring at the moment. It will get immediate attention more quickly than an online form. If the activity is ongoing and likely to continue, the online form may offer more protection and the opportunity to give more detail.

3. Relate all the pertinent information you have about the illegal activity to the police. The more information they have, the more likely they will be able to stop the activity or prevent it in the future.

4. State that you wish to remain anonymous if anyone asks for your name or address. You are not required to provide any personal information if you do not want to.

Tips & Warnings

• Calling from a public phone or submitting an online tip from a public computer can increase your anonymity if you don't want to be known. This can be especially important if you can't report on an illegal activity without implicating yourself.

• If your local law enforcement agencies do not have anonymous channels, there are nationwide hotlines which collect anonymous tips and pass them on to law enforcement.

• Law enforcement agencies may pay more attention to a report with a name attached than to an anonymous tip. Coming forward as a named witness to a crime is much less likely to be a prank or a fraud and will carry greater credibility.

• Even though 911 and other emergency systems collect information about you when you call, they are also your fastest link to the police. If somebody is actively endangered by criminal activity, you may have to weigh your own anonymity against someone else's safety.

References

• Riverside Police Department: Report an Anonymous Tip
• Majon: Report Crime with Anonymous Email