ByHow to File a Police Report in Charlotte, NC Easily
Being the target of criminal activity is frightening enough in itself, but sometimes, trying to report your incident to the police will only add to your trauma. You often have to wait for a responding officer, especially if the officer is having a hectic day and considers your case a low priority. Afterwards, the officer might have to ask some personal questions you have difficulty discussing. When you’re dealing with a large police force and aren’t sure how to file a report with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, that will only aggravate the situation.
While you might not even expect officers to be able to address your crime, your insurance company will require a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police report be filed, so you're stuck dealing with the time commitment and the frustrations.
Many police departments now offer the opportunity to file online police reports, which can take some of the sting out of it as you're able to do the report on your own schedule, without the intimidation of talking directly to the police. But the forms often are complicated and time consuming to complete as they require a great deal of personal information. DoNotPay makes simple and quick.
What Types of Reports Can Be Filed Online in Charlotte?
The types of crimes that can be reported online in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, N.C., are limited to property crimes that don't involve injury or death to a person. Crimes that can be reported online fall into these categories:
| Communicating threats | Someone threatening you or your family with physical harm or damage to property can be reported if you believe the person will carry out the threats. If your neighbor threatens to poison your dog, cut down your tree or punch you in the mouth, these are all legitimate threats. |
| Harassing phone calls | Any threatening phone calls you receive apply, even if the person just calls and hangs up or calls and says nothing but ties up your line. |
| Property damage | Any damage or destruction to your property that was intentional qualifies, whether to your home, your car or your favorite oak tree. |
| Lost passport or driver's license | Your passport and driver's license are the only two lost items the police will accept an online report for. |
| Stolen property | This category provides the widest range of options as it includes any items taken from you without permission, such as cash, a car, a wallet, or a cell phone. |
| Theft from vehicle | This includes any items taken from your personal vehicle and can include damage done to gain access to the vehicle. |
What Is Required to File an Online Report
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department requires a valid email address to file an online police report. The required fields also included several personal questions such as age, race, ethnicity and more. You also will be expected to provide good details about where the incident happened along with writing a narrative about it.
How to File a Charlotte Police Report by Yourself
The process of filing an online police report begins on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department website but leads you to an outside vendor, Coplogic, where you will enter your personal information and details about the crime. The Coplogic site will lead you through eight screens of questions before completing the report:
- Crime category: You'll need to pick where you believe your crime falls
- Filing party: Pick whether you are filing as an individual or representing a company or group.
- Personal information: You'll input a full slate of personal information
- Incident: Give details about the incident
- Person: Provide details about the other person involved in the incident
- Narrative: Write a description of the event
- Review: Check all the details you've entered
- Submit: Enter your report
At this point, you will get a temporary report number and have the opportunity to print a copy of the report for your records. If you need to add to the report later, you'll need to call the police to provide the additional information.
The opening page also points out in bold print that filing a false police report is itself a criminal matter, so make sure your information is correct to the best of your ability.
You also can report your crime by calling the department at 311 or 704-336-7600 if you call from outside Mecklenburg County. You also can visit a neighborhood police precinct to report the crime, but who knows what type of fellow citizens you might encounter there.
How to File a Charlotte Police Report With the Help of DoNotPay
Wading through the eight-page online form is a daunting task that likely will take an hour or two to complete, even if you have all the details together when you start the filing. The simpler solution will be to work through DoNotPay, which uses a much more intuitive way of compiling the necessary information and keeps your personal information secure through the process.
How to File a Police Report Using DoNotPay:
DoNotPay takes you through the process of filing an online police report with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in 3 easy steps. These are:
- Search "police report" on DoNotPay and select the type of incident you would like to report.
- Tell us more about the incident that occurred, including the location, date, time, and sequence of events. Include information on financial losses, personal injuries, or property damage that happened as a result.
- List any suspects or witnesses you are aware of, verify your contact information, and submit.
Why Use DoNotPay to File a Police Report?
Three easy steps versus eight pages of weighty questions gives you a pretty good idea of the benefits of working through DoNotPay. DoNotPay is:
- Fast — You don't have to spend hours trying to complete the application.
- Easy — You don't have to struggle to fill out tedious forms or keep track of all details as you shift from page to page.
- Successful — You can rest assured knowing we'll get the proper information to the police.
DoNotPay Helps Report Many Law Enforcement Issues
DoNotPay can help you report many times of issues to law enforcement, whether you are in Charlotte or about any other community in the United States. A sampling of the issues DNP helps with include:
- Identity theft
- Stolen package
- Vehicle accident
- Hit-and-run
- Stolen phone
- Scammers
- Stolen wallet
- Stolen property
If you have an issue you need to report to the police, DoNotPay will help you accomplish the report in the safest and fastest way. Visit the website or download the app to learn more.