Filing a Police Report

[rbginsburg]

Can I file a police report anonymously in Texas? What personal identifying information am I required by law to give? If the police investigates the criminal and gathers my personal identifying information, is my information redacted or discarded?

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Can I file a police report anonymously in Texas? What personal identifying information am I required by law to give? If the police investigates the criminal and gathers my personal identifying information, is my information redacted or discarded?

To report a crime that you are the victim of and have any hope that the person that perpetrated the crime be charged, tried and convicted you are going to have to give your name and testify against him/her.

Many if not most police departments have Crime Stoppers type number where you can report things to the police with varying levels anonymity but a call saying so and so did a bad thing likely isn't going to get much traction.

 

[FlyingRon]

Report for what? Certain things like chld abuse and neglect reports have mandated confidentiality. Most others do not.

Many Texas jurisdictions however have anonymous crime tip lines.

 

[Just Blue]

Can I file a police report anonymously in Texas? What personal identifying information am I required by law to give? If the police investigates the criminal and gathers my personal identifying information, is my information redacted or discarded?

What crime do you wish to report?

 

[quincy]

Can I file a police report anonymously in Texas? What personal identifying information am I required by law to give? If the police investigates the criminal and gathers my personal identifying information, is my information redacted or discarded?

You are not required to identify yourself if you are reporting a crime. You can make an anonymous report.

Although any personal identifying information you do decide to provide could be redacted from records available to the public, that information is not likely to be "discarded."

 

[Ohiogal]

If you are accusing someone of a crime, they have a constitutional right to confront their accuser. You won't get around that.

 

[Ohiogal]

Report for what? Certain things like chld abuse and neglect reports have mandated confidentiality. Most others do not.

Many Texas jurisdictions however have anonymous crime tip lines.

That is only for non criminal circumstances for mandated confidentiality.

 

[quincy]

If you are accusing someone of a crime, they have a constitutional right to confront their accuser. You won't get around that.

Filing a report or complaint with the police is different than accusing someone of a crime. A police report/complaint is not considered true or false.

The police will investigate reports made by the public to the police to see if there is any merit to the claims or suspicions.

The reporter of a crime or suspected crime is protected by a qualified immunity from prosecution if the report is made in good faith and without malice.

 

[Ohiogal]

Filing a report or complaint with the police is different than accusing someone of a crime. A police report/complaint is not considered true or false.

The police will investigate reports made by the public to the police to see if there is any merit to the claims or suspicions.

The reporter of a crime or suspected crime is protected by a qualified immunity from prosecution if the report is made in good faith and without malice.

I get that. But their information will NOT be kept confidential if the accused is charged with a crime.

 

[quincy]

I get that. But their information will NOT be kept confidential if the accused is charged with a crime.

The reporter of a crime or suspected crime can still remain anonymous.

Whether the identity of the reporter of a crime is disclosed to others depends on how the report is made, what crime is reported, and any potential personal involvement the reporter has with the crime.

Anonymous tips would have no value if anonymity was not guaranteed. If disclosure of the identity of reporters was routine, this would discourage people from reporting what they see, hear or suspect.

 

[Ohiogal]

The reporter of a crime or suspected crime can still remain anonymous.

Whether the identity of the reporter of a crime is disclosed to others depends on how the report is made, what crime is reported, and any potential personal involvement the reporter has with the crime.

Anonymous tips would have no value if anonymity was not guaranteed. If disclosure of the identity of reporters was routine, this would discourage people from reporting what they see, hear or suspect.

I have gotten the id of confidential informants... It happens...

 

[quincy]

I have gotten the id of confidential informants... It happens...

Oh. I don't doubt that it can happen that an anonymous reporter is identified. But the identities generally are disclosed only if the reporter is part of the legal action.

 

[Taxing Matters]

If you are accusing someone of a crime, they have a constitutional right to confront their accuser. You won't get around that.

They have the constitutional right to confront the witnesses who testify against them in the court trial. They do not have a right to know who made an anonymous report to the police or other law enforcement agency if that report is not used as evidence against the accused and if that informant is not testifying against the accused at the trial.

 

[quincy]

If someone intentionally makes a knowingly false report to the police, there can be legal repercussions. There are both criminal and civil actions that potentially can be pursued against the reporter.

But there are difficulties showing the intent of the reporter in making a report. To overcome the qualified immunity that protects reports to the police (and CPS), actual malice must be shown.

 

[CdwJava]

Can I file a police report anonymously in Texas? What personal identifying information am I required by law to give? If the police investigates the criminal and gathers my personal identifying information, is my information redacted or discarded?

If you give information to the police, as has been mentioned, they can try to keep you out of it. But, except for a few rare instances, your name - and possibly your contact info - can be a matter of public record after time, or discoverable as part of a court proceeding.

Keep in mind that if you make a truly anonymous report, the police may not be able to act on it. Understand that the problem you report anonymously may not be able to be addressed. Anonymous tips might be good to point cops in a direction, but they rarely give them actionable information. So, for example, if you want to report the neighbor's drug dealing and drop a dime via the phone to a tip line or the narco unit, they may be able to search public records and agency records for people that live there and see if there are any known criminals, and they might be willing to stake it out a bit. But, the odds of them being able to act upon an unconfirmed and anonymous tip is slim to nil.

As has been asked, what is it you want to report?