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.
- Chapter 1: The Milk Run
- Chapter 2: The Date
- Chapter 3: The Rent Money
- Chapter 4: The 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:
- If it is an emergency or a crime in progress, call 911 immediately.
- Move to a safe place until police arrive.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.