New Salem police system makes reporting crimes, tracking data easier

The Salem Police Department has revamped its system for reporting non-emergency crimes, which department leaders hope will to ease the process, better track statistics and free up officers to respond to urgent calls for service.

Salem police on May 30 replaced their online reporting system for non-emergency crimes without a suspect, such as shoplifting or vandalism. 

Some crimes that don’t involve an immediate threat but require police to start investigating quickly – such as a stolen vehicle or theft from one’s home – should still be reported to the non-emergency line at 503-588-6123, rather than online. More information can be found in English and Spanish on Salem police’s website.

Salem police paid LexisNexis, a data analytics company, $21,300 for the new technology, according to department spokeswoman Angela Hedrick.

The agency started developing the project in November 2024, Hedrick said.

People can now file a police report anytime on any device, add information to their report over time, and upload their own images and other digital evidence. 

None of that was possible with the previous system, which was built in-house, according to Hedrick.

“All the efficiencies the new system created were the limitations of the old system,” she said.

The new technology will reduce calls to the Salem area’s dispatch center, make it easier for Salem police’s office staff to process reports and allow patrol officers to focus on high-priority calls, according to Hedrick.

When a report is submitted, department staff will verify the information and send it to investigators to follow up.

The new technology will help provide data to be added to a publicly viewable map, which LexisNexis also created, and show crime trends throughout the city.

“Now, the systems all talk to each other,” Hedrick said.

She said that will also help the department “better allocate its limited patrol and investigative resources.”

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Salem police to present updated plate readers, crime reporting system to city council Monday

Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.

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