Warrenton Police Launch New Online Reporting Form for Starting a Police Report

Warrenton, OR – The Warrenton Police Department is launching a new Online Reporting Form where certain incidents and crimes can be started online and later completed by an officer. The new online form fits well with all of the current social distancing measures and alternative reporting methods being used around the State and Nation. But this reporting method is something the WPD has been wanting to do for some time now. The Astoria Dispatch Center is extremely busy and often short-handed so any mechanism or effort to filter the number of non-emergency and “not-in-progress” calls coming into the center will help the dispatchers. The form can be found on the City website under Police at https://www.ci.warrenton.or.us/police/webform/start-police-report-online.

The type of incidents or crimes that can be reported through the Online Reporting Form is limited in scope. The incident must have occurred within the City Limits of Warrenton or at least the victim or owner must reside in Warrenton. The following types of crimes can usually be reported via the Online Form:

• Hit and Run to a vehicle or property (non-injury)
• Lost Property: property not stolen such as wallets, purses, credit cards, cell phones, etc.
• Identity Theft: when someone has wrongfully obtained and used your personal data for fraudulent gain.
• Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card: unlawful use of your credit or debit card for gain.
• Forgery/Counterfeit: altering, copying, or imitation of something like checks, credit cards, etc. to defraud
• Fraud: this includes telephone scams, internet scams, or mail scams
• Illegal Dumping: discarding or depositing of trash, rubbish, or debris without permission or in public way
• Burglary to an Unoccupied Outbuilding: break-in or theft of shed or storage unit. NO dwellings though.
• Suspicious Activity: activities by a person or vehicle that is unusual, suspect, but NOT IN PROGRESS.
• Theft: items from publicly accessible space like street, parking lot, front yard. NOT stolen vehicles.
• Vandalism: intentional or reckless damaging of property, building, vehicle. NOT caused by a vehicle.
• Additional Information: you can add information to a previously reported incident. MUST include case #.

Once the form is submitted it will be routed to an on-duty officer who will contact you at your “preferred method” when he or she is available. If the crime or incident you want to report is not listed above, you will need to call the Astoria Dispatch Non-Emergency number at 503-325-4411. If your crime or incident is listed above, we prefer you to use the online form but of course you can still always speak to an on-duty officer by calling the non-emergency number.

We hope this Online Reporting Form will help lessen the number of calls coming into Dispatch, provide another method for citizens to report incidents, and minimize the amount of time or information that needs to be gathered by the on-duty officer.

Prepared by Chief Mathew Workman, 503-861-2235, policechief@ci.warrenton.or.us