Reporting a Crime

How to Report a Crime

Call the police.
Identify yourself by your name, address, and telephone number.
Give the exact location of the incident.
Report the information.
Stay on the line with the communications dispatcher until they have gotten all the information.

When reporting a crime, please keep the following in mind:

Do not confront the situations yourself. Wait for the police to arrive.
Remember emergency calls get first priority, all other calls are on a lower priority basis.

Anyone being forced into a vehicle
Apparent business transactions conducted from a vehicle
Apparent drug trafficking
Burglaries, robberies, thefts, auto-break-ins in progress
Cars, vans, or trucks moving slowly and without lights with no apparent destination, or repeating the same action
Open or broken doors or windows to a home or business
A person exhibiting unusual mental or physical symptoms
A person running, especially if carrying something of value
Persons making a quick change of vehicles
Property being taken out of closed businesses or houses where nobody is at home
Someone in need of medical attention
Someone looking into windows of homes or parked cars
Someone screaming or shouting for help
A stranger sitting in a car stopping to talk to a child, etc.
Unusual noises

When reporting a suspicious person if possible write down the following:

Age
Any peculiar or distinguishable mannerisms, physical disabilities, disfigurations, scars or tattoos
Coat/jacket
Direction of movement
Facial Hair (beard/mustache)
Hair (color and length)
Hat
Height (estimated from eye contact level measured against your height)
Race
Sex
Shirt/tie
Shoes
Trousers
Voice characteristics
Weight

When reporting a suspicious vehicle, write down the following:

Color, and approximate age of the vehicle
Direction of travel
If possible, a description of the driver
If possible, the total number of persons inside the vehicle
Make and type of vehicle
Special designs or unusual features, such as:
- Body damage
- Pinstripes
- Vinyl top
- Wheels,
Vehicle license number and state

Any person who:

Except as provided in Section 22-11-9.2, knowingly causes a false fire or other emergency alarm to be transmitted to, or within, any fire department, ambulance service or other government agency which deals with emergencies involving danger to life or property
Makes a report or intentionally causes the transmission of a report to law enforcement authorities of a crime or other incident within their official concern, when he knows that it did not occur
Makes a report or intentionally causes the transmission of a report to law enforcement authorities which furnishes information relating to an offense or other incident within their official concern, when he knows that such information is false

is guilty of false reporting to authorities. False reporting to authorities is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Source: SL 1975, chapter 171, sections 1, 2; South Dakota Combined Law Support, section 22-13-16; SL 1976, chapter 158, section 11.