Announced April 24, the new reporting system uses the LexisNexis Coplogic platform to receive reports of crimes including vandalism, theft, fraud and harassment. Since its launch April 1, residents have reported about 413 incidents through Tuesday, according to the department. The implementation is expected to ease some of the 911 load in the city of roughly 700,000 residents and 621 square miles.
“Our IT unit is constantly developing new, innovative tools for the department,” police Capt. Valerie Littlejohn, the department’s public information officer, said. “We’ve launched several new programs recently, including the online reporting system. We’re working to make it easier for residents to give feedback on their experiences with us without needing to visit a station or fill out paper forms. We want to grow and improve in ways that serve the community better.”
In turn, the new process may reduce travel times and call volumes for police. The department is budgeted for 1,235 sworn positions; it currently has 1,059 sworn positions and 84 recruits, she said.
Other cities large and small use the LexisNexis tool too, to enhance public safety services and align with national compliance standards and uniform coding, according to the company website. Dallas; Washington, D.C.; and San Luis Obispo, Calif., are among those that do. The system can be tailored for multiple languages and city branding.
The online intake form helps automate and define what crimes are reportable. Reportable items include lost property, simple assault, threats or even financial crime. But a crime that involves a known suspect (when the victim knows who committed a theft or burglary), happened outside city limits, or is in progress cannot be reported. Likewise, anything that requires forensic evidence — including fingerprints or DNA — shouldn’t be reported online. The new process guides end users to help clarify appropriate reporting.
“As you go through [the online form], it gives error marks if you’re not able to make that report online ... it tells you why,” Littlejohn said. “If you know the suspect, for example, it will refer you to call 911. Once submitted, the report goes to our records unit for review, and if accepted, it’s assigned an incident number and routed for investigation.”
Although the system may ease the workload of operators and officers on the ground, she said it doesn’t limit how residents interact with OKCPD.
“If their report meets the criteria, and they want to do that online, they are more than welcome to do so,” Littlejohn said. “We're not going to deny them [in-person interaction] by any means. This is just another option given to residents to use if they wish to do so.”
The department’s inclusion of online tools reflects its broader effort to modernize public safety services while maintaining transparency and accessibility. In addition to crime reporting, residents can now submit commendations or complaints online, too, with the replacement of a form that required email, mail or in-person delivery. The department plans to make these digital tools available in Spanish and Vietnamese.
