One of the downsides of social media is that some people now don’t call the police or Sheriff’s Department to report a crime—they just post it on social media.
“We need Lakewood residents to contact the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station if they see a crime or suspicious behavior in the city,” said Lakewood Public Safety Director Joshua Yordt.
“That way, Sheriff’s personnel can respond as quickly as possible,” says Yordt. “Even if the crime happened in the past, it is important to have a report taken so Sheriff’s investigators can see patterns and track down a particular suspect responsible for multiple crimes.”
“If you can take the time to post a crime or suspicious activity on social media, you can also be a good citizen and take the time to call it into the Sheriff’s Department,” said Yordt. “That’s how we can all do our part to keep Lakewood safe.”
Three ways to report crime (or suspicious behavior) in Lakewood
1. Call 911. For a crime or health emergency in progress, this is of course the fastest way to get help.
2. Call the business line of the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station (staffed 24/7) at 562-623-3500. That’s the best number to call if a crime happened in the past and no suspect is on site and no emergency currently exists…or if you have a question or comment about a public safety issue in Lakewood. Personnel answering the business line will direct you to the best person to handle your call. If you are ever dissatisfied with the service or answer you’ve received, you can ask to speak with the Watch Commander, who oversees Lakewood Station operations on that shift.
3. For certain types of property crimes, you can use the online crime reporting system, SORTS. The SORTS system is quick and easy for residents to use for reports, and is designed to encourage more residents to report property crimes to help Sheriff’s investigators better track crime patterns and find criminals.
To file a crime report online via SORTS, four conditions must be met:
1. The crime took place within the Sheriff’s Department jurisdiction (not within an area served by a city police department or in another county).
You can check the location eligibility on the LASD Jurisdiction Lookup site at www.lakewoodcity.org/LASDmap.
2. The type of crime you are reporting is an eligible, misdemeanor property crime. These crimes include:
- Lost or stolen cell phones valued at $950 or less.
- Lost or stolen property valued at $950 or less.
- Vandalism, excluding graffiti, where damage is valued under $400.
- Theft from an unlocked vehicle valued at $950 or less.
- Theft from an open or unsecured area valued at $950 or less.
- Supplemental Loss Form (Must already have a LASD report number).
3. The individual reporting the crime has a valid email address.
4. The individual reporting the crime is at least 18 years of age.
If all four of the above conditions are met, a crime report can be submitted online at https://lasd.org/sorts/.
Once the report has been submitted, it will be reviewed by a member of LASD, who will determine if further information is needed. It is possible LASD may contact you by phone, email or in person to conduct the appropriate level of investigation for the reported crime. Once the report is reviewed and approved by LASD, a free copy will be sent to the email address used to report the crime.
The SORTS reporting option is not intended to replace calling the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station business line or calling 911. SORTS is intended to provide an additional reporting option for a limited type of property crimes.
If you are unsure if the crime you are reporting is eligible to be submitted online through SORTS, call the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station at 562-623-3500 to report the crime.