Cheverly Police Department Adopts Online Reporting and Additional Changes Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Over the last several weeks, we have all experienced significant changes to our normal routines and way of life, and we want to reiterate our commitment to our community.

The Cheverly Police Department is closely monitoring, and continually assessing, the needs of our community during this public health emergency. We are carefully considering the best way to ensure public safety while minimizing risks to the health of our staff and the community we serve.

As you might expect, we have adjusted many of our internal policies and protocols to ensure that we do everything in our power to prevent exposure of COVID-19 to our staff which in-turn prevents exposure to our community. 

In an effort to support the social distancing requirements and promote overall health and public safety, effective immediately, persons wishing to file a non-emergency police report, for certain incident/crimes, may file police reports online at: www.cheverlypolice.org/webforms/cheverly-police-department-online-report-submittal

Online reporting is designed to make filing a police report easier and more convenient for you; however, not every crime can be reported online. 

Specific incidents/crimes that can be reported: ​

• Auto Tampering​

• Destruction of Property​

• Harassment​

• Lost Property​

• Property Damage​

• Theft (Including but not limited to: from auto, thefts that do not exceed $1,500, fraud, and identity theft)​

  • Excluded Thefts:​

    • Thefts that rise to the level of a B&E (theft from building where access is prohibited)​

    • Thefts that rise to the level of Shoplifting (theft of goods from a commercial establishment)​

    • Thefts that rise to the level of Robbery (theft with physical or threat of confrontation)

In order to file a report online, incidents/crimes:

• Cannot be an immediate emergency​ (Call 911)

• Must not be actively occurring​ (Call 911)

• Must have occurred in Cheverly​ (If not, report to jurisdiction where crime occurred)

• Reporting person must not definitively know the offender (Require officer response)

  • Does not include suspected offenders​ (May be reported online)

• Must not have any current witnesses​ (Requires officer response)

• Must not have been reported previously​ 

• Must not have evidence that must be collected by an officer​ (Requires officer response)

• Must not have any actual or perceived hate/bias motivation​ (Requires officer response)

• Must not have occurred on a state highway​ 

• Must not involve a vehicle accident​

  • This does not include property damage to a vehicle​

In addition, when possible, officers will respond by phone, instead of in-person, to non-emergency and non-violent calls where the offender is not present. Calls that may result in this alternative phone response include: 

• Non-injury minor vehicle crashes, that are not blocking a roadway, where there is no disturbances between drivers, no driver impairment, and no vehicles that have to be towed;

• Lost property (wallet, purse, phone, etc.), excluding firearms 

• Identity theft with no physical evidence to collect;

• Thefts from a publicly accessible space, including shoplifting, and thefts from yards, construction sites, public storage facilities and detached garages where the perpetrator is not present, the loss is less than $1,500, and there is no recoverable evidence at the scene;

• Thefts FROM vehicles, excluding firearms, where there is no recoverable evidence at the scene;

• Vandalism or damage to property where the perpetrator is not present and the loss is less than $1,500.

Please remain focused, not only on your health but overall public safety, and look out for one another. As always, if you see something suspicious, out of the ordinary, or are in need of a police response, please contact  non-emergency at 301-352-1200 or 911, depending on the circumstances.