Reporting Crime

One of the greatest assets a Police Department has in solving a crime is the timely reporting of an offense.  A quick response to a criminal act, greatly affects the clearance rate.  Too often Police Departments are called long after a crime has occurred, of a person has witnessed a suspicious incident.  

For example, on numerous occasions there have been incidents where the Police Department is called out to investigate a crime:  burglary, theft, criminal mischief, etc.  Upon arrival, the Officer speaks with the victim and takes an initial report.  According to severity of the crime, a Detective may also respond to do a follow-up investigation.  Long after the initial reports are taken the Officers receive pertinent information that may have helped in the apprehension of the actor(s) if the report had been made sooner. 

There are times when the Police Department received a call hours or days later from someone who witnessed something suspicious at the time of the occurrence of the crime, but did not call the Police Department   In one instance, there was a residential burglary that occurred.  Two days later a neighbor called reporting that she had heard about the burglary and advised that on the same evening stranger’s had come to her door asking for someone that did not live at her residence.   The stranger’s were probably the subjects responsible for her neighbor’s burglary.  If the Police Department had been contacted as soon as the subjects had left, the other burglary may have been solved. 

The Police Department urges anyone who sees anything suspicious or witnesses a criminal act to report the incident at the time of the occurrence.   All reports are to be made by dialing  9-1-1 or calling the Police Department directly at (732)-946-4400. 

***Anyone wishing to report any criminal activity and wish to remain anonymous, can call the Holmdel Police Private Information line at (732)-772-0354.  This is not an emergency line and is not to be used for any type of emergency incidents.  Between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. a message can be left at this phone number.