Sheriff's Office launches public on-line crime report system

DELAND -- Reporting non-emergency crimes such as theft and vandalism to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office can now be done from the comfort, convenience and privacy of a computer, agency spokesman Gary Davidson said.

The Sheriff's Office has launched a new service that gives residents the option of filing certain reports
on-line. The service can be used to report harassing phone calls, lost property, theft, vandalism and identity theft as long as there are no
known suspects. Users must be at least 18-years-old to file a report.

"We're very excited to be able to offer this new service," Sheriff Ben Johnson said. "This is an excellent use of technology and a real convenience for the public."

The new on-line reporting system can be accessed through a link on the Sheriff's Office's web site, www.volusia.org/sheriff. It can only be
used for incidents that occur within the Sheriff's Office's jurisdiction, which includes all of unincorporated Volusia County and the cities of Deltona, DeBary and Pierson. The web page takes computer users through the process of filing an on-line report, in both English and Spanish, and also provides telephone numbers for residents to callif they prefer to have a deputy dispatched to them to take a report in-person. All on-line reports will be reviewed by a deputy and issued an official case number. Once the review is complete, an incident report and case number will be e-mailed back to the person filing the report.

"Information is the key to solving and preventing crime," Johnson added. "Our goal is to be accessible to the public and make it as easy and convenient as possible to send us information. Nearly everyone has access to a computer, and this gives the public one more way to contact us."

For emergencies, the web page instructs residents to dial 9-1-1.