Statements on the grounds that a crime could not be reported at a police station at a certain time of day

A person who visited a police station to report a crime was asked to come back a few hours later, as the reporting desk was closed at the time. The Parliamentary Ombudsman states that the criminal activity the person wanted to report was of such a nature that it should have been reported immediately in accordance with the applicable procedure at the police station.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman further states that it appears unsatisfactory for it only to be possible to report a crime at an open police station at a particular time of day. Even if an exception is made for urgent cases, it may give the impression that the Policy Authority is not sufficiently prioritising its task of investigating and combatting crimes subject to public prosecution.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman notes that it is of urgent public interest for an individual to be able to quickly and simply contact the police to report a crime. Insufficient accessibility risks harming public trust in the Police Authority and may reduce people’s willingness to report a crime.