Reporting a Crime

If you are a victim or witness to a crime, you need to immediately report it to the police. If it is an emergency situation, retreat to a safe location and dial 9-1-1. In a non-emergency situation, you need to contact the police department where the offense took place using the department's non-emergency telephone number. After calling the police, try to take a moment to either write down or commit to memory all the important details and descriptions of people and events involved. Sometimes even the smallest detail can be important.

The more you are able to commit to memory or write down will greatly assist the police department in the investigation of the crime and will help them apprehend the perpetrator. The Police Department is responsible to conduct an investigation of the crime, and to gather the necessary evidence to file criminal charges against the perpetrator.

As soon as the emergency situation is over and the information has been given to the police, victims of crime can call the Lake County Prosecutor's Office Victim Assistance Program's emergency number at 440–953–5823.

A link to the police departments, and their non-emergency telephone numbers, is included.