Calgary Police Service

Help fight crime - Be a good witness!

Observe. Record. Report.

Those three words are the key to how you can help the Calgary Police Service fight crime and keep Calgary a safe place to live and play. With Calgary’s growing population, we simply cannot be everywhere all of the time. Calgarians are the eyes and ears we rely on – and it is important that we all work together.

 

The Witness

In partnership with students from SAIT Polytechnic, we created a video series that follows a young man with a special power of always being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Take a look and see how he learns to use his power for good by being a good witness.

Or you can also watch the entire series in one video.

Being a good witness

So what can you do if you see a crime? Here are a few steps to follow:

  1. If it is an emergency or a crime in progress, call 911 immediately.
  2. Move to a safe place until police arrive.
  3. Take note of the appearance of the people involved, including their:
    • Age and gender
    • Ethnicity and build
    • Height and weight
    • Hair colour and length
    • Face shape and/or facial hair
    • Eye colour and shape
    • Clothing type and colour
    • Anything else distinct about them
  4. Take note of the environment around the incident:
    • Time
    • Location
    • Nearby vehicles, including:
      • Year, make and model
      • Colour
      • License plate number
      • Number of occupants
      • Body damage, bumper stickers or decals.
      • Direction of travel
      • Which street it was parked/driving along when you last saw it
  5. Take note of what happened:
    • How many people were involved
    • What they did and to whom
    • What was said (if you can safely hear)
    • How they left the scene
    • What direction were they traveling
  6. Report what you noted to police.

Never underestimate the power of the information you have. Something as simple as reporting a suspicious person running down the street, or part of the license plate and colour of a vehicle driving around in your neighbourhood could be the missing piece needed to solve a crime.

There is no time limit on when information is useful. If you have information about a crime that has already happened, you can always call our non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or give your information anonymously to Crime Stoppers, either online or by calling 1-800-222-8477.

CALL YOUR LOCAL POLICE

In an emergency always call 911

Non-emergency 403-266-1234