Report a Crime

When faced with an emergency situation and calling 911, try to remember the following:

• Remain calm and remain on the phone until you are told to hang up.
• Briefly state the reason for the fall (for example, “I want to report a driver that appears to be under the influence.”).
• Let the operator control the conversation – all questions asked will provide important information to assist the officers who are attending.

When to call the Penticton RCMP's non-emergency line at 250-492-4300.

• A crime has already been committed and no suspects are present
• A non-emergency crime with a suspect, but the suspect is not on the scene
• A crime with a suspect, but with a lengthy delay (perhaps it took place the previous night)
• Ongoing crime issues, not in-progress (nuisance behaviour, graffiti problems, or ongoing drug dealing with the suspect not on the scene)
• A suspicious circumstance that may indicate an on-going criminal activity (grow operation, drug production site)
• When following up on a report that has been previously made (have the police file number available)

Try to record as much detail as possible. This includes the location of the emergency, including street name, building number and direction of travel. If the emergency is occurring in a restricted access complex, remember to provide an intercom code

Personal information, including name, address and phone number, and date of birth if requested. In providing a date of birth, the caller is helping to differentiate between people with the same name and assists in reducing instances of identity theft.

Consider this checklist for possibilities:

• Date
• Time
• Location
• Suspect description
• Sex
• Age
• Height
• Body build
• Ethnicity
• Complexion
• Eye colour
• Eye shape
• Hair colour
• Length
• Hairstyle
• Facial hair
• Tattoos or scars
• Jewellery or body piercings
• Glasses
• Accent
• Clothing
• Hat
• Shoes
• Jacket
• Shirt
• Pants or shorts
• Style, colours or emblems and logos
• Type of weapon
• Suspect vehicle
• License plate number
• Vehicle brand
• Vehicle model
• Colour
• Direction of travel

If you have information about a crime or suspicious person or activity and you would prefer to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, send a text message to 274637 with the message SOSTIPS, or visit Crime Stoppers.

RCMP or Bylaw Services?

This chart offers some helpful suggestions.

Contact Information

For issues involving the following, please contact the City of Penticton’s Bylaw Services team.

• Noise (including construction and animal)
• Unsightly property
• Traffic
• Snow & ice removal
• Nuisance properties & “grow-ops”
• Pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers
• Graffiti

If you have a concern involving any of the above issues, contact Penticton’s Bylaw Services at 250-490-2440 or report the issue online. After Hours: 250-809-4367 (Monday to Friday, 4:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)

Report an Issue Online

After hours, call the RCMP non-emergency line at 250-492-4300 for pressing issues. 

If you have been a victim of a scan or your personal information has been compromised, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by calling 1-888-495-8501 to file a report and the Canadian Credit Bureaus for Assistance.

If your personal information has been compromised, contact both Equifax by calling 1-800-465-7166 and TransUnion Canada by calling 1-877-525-3823. For further information, visit the national RCMP website on Reporting Scams and Frauds.

For information on internet safety or to report the online sexual exploitation of children, call the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Team (ICE) at 604-598-4569 or visit Cybertip.ca.

There are steps you can take to make sure your home isn’t a target for criminals. Click the link below to download a self assessment tool to assess your property.  Also read more tips on the City's See Something Say Something page. 

If you would like to request an on-site security assessment of your property, strata property, neighbourhood or underground parkade, contact the Penticton Community Policing Office at 250-492-4300.

RCMP Residential Security Self-Assessment Form

Did you know that you can contact the Community Policing Office to request an on-site assessment of your business? You can also download the form to conduct a self assessment. 

These tips are based on a method called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), which works by removing opportunities for criminals.  Find out more and read plenty of tips on the City's See Something Say Something page. 

If you have any questions or would like to request a security assessment, contact the Penticton Community Policing Office at 250-492-4300. They also conduct site visits at Penticton parkades and strata developments and can advise on any security issues.

Penticton RCMP Security Self-Assessment Form

For crime-related questions or to book a security assessment, contact the RCMP’s Community Policing Unit.

To report a non-emergency incident involving a crime, call the RCMP at 250-492-4300 or use their Online Crime Reporting system.

Community Policing Unit
185 Lakeshore Drive, Penticton
Phone: 250-492-4300