The King County Sheriff’s Office has launched online reporting for a variety of crimes, suspicious circumstances and traffic complaints.

The service is available to citizens living in unincorporated King County, as well as the 12 communities that contract for police services from the Sheriff’s Office.  That’s more than 500,000 people.

However, citizens who still want “human contact” can do so by telephoning the Sheriff’s Office Communications Center at 206-296-3311. A deputy will come to the door if preferred.

All emergencies must still be reported to 911.

“This new reporting system was developed for the convenience of folks who may not want to call in or wait for a deputy,” Sheriff Sue Rahr said in a prepared press release. “It just gives citizens another option.”

Due to budget cutbacks, wait times for deputies in unincorporated King County have increased for incidents that are not considered emergencies, Rahr said.

The new program allows crime victims to print a copy of their report which can be sent to their insurance company, if needed.

Some of the many crimes that can be reported through the Sheriff’s Office website include vandalism, car prowls, thefts from vehicles or yards, identity theft, nuisance phone calls and thefts of mail and bicycles. Burglaries and car thefts still require a visit from a deputy, but follow-up information after the initial report can be sent via the new system.

Reports of abandoned vehicles, suspicious activity, narcotic activity and chronic traffic problems like neighborhood speeding can be reported using the online system.

The link to view the complete list of what can be reported and other criteria is at www.ReportToSheriff.org.

On-line reporting and resource information is available in English, Cambodian, Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. By calling the Sheriff’s Communication Center, callers can be linked with a live translator for other languages.