The following crimes and incidents may be reported using this form.

• Auto Burglary - Someone broke into your locked vehicle and took items from within. If your vehicle was left unlocked, it is considered a theft.
  
• Theft - The unlawful taking of the personal property of another.
  
• Vandalism - Malicious mischief or damage done to your property. (Do NOT REPORT graffitti related to hate crimes or gang activity vandalisms on line).
  
• Lost/Stolen Property - Property that is lost or stolen, with no suspect information i.e. wallets or purses, bicycles.

  If the value of the total property taken in any of the above listed crime types is greater than $5,000, do not file the report on line.

• Leaf Blower Ordinance Violations - On June 13, 2005, the Palo Alto City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting the use of a particular type of leaf blower in residential zones of the city.
  
• Make a Confidential Crime Tip - Online Crime Tip Reporting allows citizens of the community to anonymously provide information to the Police about suspicious activity and criminal actions within their neighborhoods.
  

Required Information
The Palo Alto Police Department requires certain information be completed before an online report can be accepted. This information may include your race, sex, age, and driver's license number. This information is required for the following reasons:

• Review by District Attorney - Should the crime(s) being reported ever reach the stage of prosecution, this information is required on all police reports before the District Attorney can review them. Full information regarding the victim is required by law.
  
• State, Federal and Other Law Enforcement Reporting Requirements -
  The Police Department is required to report many different crimes, not only to the State and FBI, but to other institutions an well. These agencies require complete identifications for reporting purposes.
  
• Victim's Rights - Should a victim want an "official" copy of the police report, by law the Police Department must verify their identity prior to releasing an official copy of the report.
  
• False Reporting - This information is required to help eliminate false crime reports via the Internet. Knowingly submitting a false crime report is a misdemeanor under the State Penal Code 148.5 PC, punishable by 6 months jail, $1,000 fine, or both.

As with any police report, the information contained within the report is considered confidential and can only be released to those individuals who legally have a "right to know".


Completing the Forms
Please complete as many lines of the report as you possibly can. This will help us investigate the crime that you are reporting and / or screen it for potential investigation. If you only have partial information (like part of a license number, or a person's description), please give us whatever you have. Include whenever possible, the serial number, license number, account number (for credit cards and or checks), owner applied number, etc., of the lost or stolen property you are reporting.

If you need to report more than one type of crime or incident, please file a separate Online Report for each.

If additional information is needed to properly file your report, we must ask you to supply this information before a report number can be issued. Please fill out the form as completely as possible.

If your report is incomplete, it will be not be filed when it is reviewed by Police Department personnel and you will be notified by e-mail. This will cause a significant delay in the reporting of the crime.

What Happens After I file an Online Report?
For all crime or lost property reports, after your properly completed Online Report has been received:

• We assign the incident a report number within 10 working days. If you can't wait 10 working days to receive a report number, do not file an online report. Call the police dispatcher at 650-329-2413, who in turn will have an officer respond to take your report, or else, come in person to the Police department to report the incident.
  
• We may contact you to verify the accuracy of the report or to clarify any information. These contacts will usually be done via e-mail. Confidential Tips will not be contacted without your consent.
  
• After your report has been accepted and we have assigned a report number to it, we will send you a copy of the report via e-mail. You should print a copy of your report and save it for your records and / or insurance purposes.
  
• Unless the crime you are reporting is part of a crime trend in your area, you will probably not be contacted by an officer or investigator.

You will not be contacted or receive an email response to complaint type reports (Traffic, Shoreline Amphitheatre Noise, Leaf Blower, Abandoned Bicycle, or Confidential tip) unless you specifically request it.

If you wish to add additional information to a report you already submitted, you can email additional information to Police Reports. Please include the Online Report number with your additional information.