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1. When should I make a report online?

Before making a report online, make sure the following is true:

• This is not an emergency
• The incident occurred in Manhattan or Riley County
• You have a valid email address
• The suspect is unknown
• No guns, weapons, hazardous materials, threats to public safety, medication, stolen vehicles, or items stolen from a vehicle involved

If you have questions or concerns, please call us at 785-537-2112.

2. What crimes can I report?

You can report:

• Criminal Damage To Property
• Criminal Damage To a Vehicle
• Identity Theft
• Theft - Except theft of a vehicle or items from a vehicle

3. Why do you need to know my height, weight, eye color, and hair color?

The state of Kansas requires demographic information to be collected from victims of crime. Typically if you were to meet with an officer in person, this information is gained during the initial interview with you or through the details listed on your driver’s license.

4. Will you spam my email address?

No. Your email address will only be used to make contact with you concerning law enforcement matters. You will not receive any promotional or governing body email notifications from the RCPD. If you would like to sign up to receive emails, please visit the following links:

• Subscribe to receive law board meeting materials
• Sign up for emergency notifications

5. What if I don’t have all of the details?

Only report the information you know yourself to be true. Filing a false police report is a crime and is punishable under KSA 21-3818. Please file online reports responsibly and as completely and accurately as possible. If you are reporting a crime in progress or an emergency, please dial 911.

6. Why would I report a crime online instead of calling?

Online reporting is a convenient way to report certain crimes without having to come to the police department. It’s possible that when you call to report non-emergent crimes, you may have to wait to speak to an officer or meet with an officer. Online reporting allows you to provide us with the information and a means to contact you as soon as an officer is available to assist you. As the world continues to evolve towards more electronic means, we want to provide everyone in Riley County with the option to utilize technology to allow them to file a report on their time and at their own convenience.

7. Why can I only report some crimes and not others?

To provide you with the most efficient service. Due to the nature of some crimes, officers would potentially need to ask for additional information and investigate in person. This could be to collect certain types of evidence before it becomes contaminated, maintain a scene, or provide mental health and victim advocacy services among other reasons.

8. What is the process of online reporting? When will I hear back from police?

1. You fill out the online crime reporting form
2. Records receives the report
3. Officers review the report
4. You will receive an email or call about the report
5. Follow-up investigation and interviews if necessary

No matter the outcome of your report you will receive at a minimum an email from either an officer or a records clerk typically within 48 hours excluding weekends. You may receive a phone call from the reviewing officer if they have questions about your report to better understand how to process it.

9. Is my information secure?

Yes. The information you provide on the form is submitted and stored on a server with secure encryption. The Riley County Police Department takes substantial steps to ensure data collected is safe through our own internal system and any third-party software.

10. Will an officer contact me after I report a crime?

Yes. Once you submit the report, an email is sent to our Records Division notifying them that a report was submitted. A Records clerk will access the data from the webform site and download the PDF file of the report during normal business hours. The clerk will add a call for service for tracking purposes, and the report will be passed to an officer for review. The officer will decide the next steps and notify the morning processing clerk. Following this process, you will be contacted by email or by phone depending on the circumstance of the crime. If the case is inactivated or no case is created, the reporting party will not hear directly from an officer. 

11. How do I report an emergency?

If you have an emergency, please call 911 immediately. If you are in a situation where calling 911 is more dangerous, we allow plain text-to-911. The online reporting form is not for emergencies.

Learn more about text-to-911.