Online watch Lower Saxony
The online police station gives you the opportunity to report simple, criminal matters to the Lower Saxony police directly or provide information around the clock. You can file a criminal complaint regardless of whether you have been harmed, can witness a crime or are uninvolved. It is then often not necessary to go to a police station or to report a criminal offense at the scene of the incident.
You also have the option of reporting corruption and white-collar crime anonymously via the Business Keeper Monitoring System® of the Lower Saxony police.
The online watch is not suitable for receiving emergency calls. In such cases, please call the police immediately via the emergency number 110 or a police station.
The use of the online watch is not suitable:
- if you wish to remain anonymous for general reports (exception: corruption and white-collar crime).
- for extensive and complicated matters.
- if the circumstances make it necessary to record the facts at the scene of the crime, especially if traces need to be secured (e.g. in the case of burglaries).
- in the case of traffic accidents, including unauthorized removal from the scene of the accident ("hit and run").
- if vehicle license plates have been stolen or lost.
- if bank cards, credit cards, other payment cards or identity documents are stolen and need to be blocked quickly. In this case, please call the blocking emergency number +49 116 116 immediately.
- if the crime scene is outside Lower Saxony. In this case, please refer to the online watchdogs of other federal states.
The police are dependent on information or observations from the public. The "Give a tip" function is available for this purpose. If you have any questions, suggestions or criticism that you would like to address directly to the police, please use the "Contact us" button. In addition, you will also find information on prevention, victim protection and your personal rights on the homepage of the online police station. In accordance with Section 158 (1) sentence 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a report of a criminal offence or a criminal complaint can also be made orally or in writing to the public prosecutor's office and the local courts. You can find the competent court or public prosecutor's office here:
Federal and state justice portal
Corruption and white-collar crime/anonymous whistleblower system
Corruption and white-collar crime often operate in secret. They are rarely uncovered because those involved in the crime are in a long-term "win-win relationship". They are morally and criminally entangled and therefore have a common interest in secrecy.
The anonymous whistleblower system (so-called BMKS system) is an offer from the Lower Saxony police for all persons from the personal or professional environment of those involved in the crime who become aware of concrete indications of this unauthorized cooperation to the detriment of third parties and who would have to expect considerable disadvantages in the event of open reports. The special feature of this reporting system is the possibility of anonymous dialog between whistleblowers and investigators. Communication takes place via a virtual mailbox in which the respective messages are posted for retrieval.
Certified encryption procedures are used to protect the content and channel of a report, and IP addresses, time stamps or metadata are not stored. The whistleblower can thus be informed about the progress of their report, questioned about further details and, if necessary, asked to send evidence-relevant documents.
You can file a criminal complaint or give a tip-off via the online police station of the Lower Saxony police by entering your contact details as follows:
- You choose whether you want to file a criminal complaint or give a tip-off.
- Criminal complaint:
- Acceptance of the instructions for using the online police station
- Acceptance of the information on data protection
- Acceptance of information on the rights of injured parties and victims in criminal proceedings
- You select the "Type of report". Separate reporting masks are offered for crimes from the following offense groups: Theft, property crime, fraud, damage to property and hate speech on the Internet. You can define these in more detail in the next step (example in the theft category: "I would like to report shoplifting"). Other criminal offenses can be reported via the "Other criminal charges" category.
- Your personal details and contact details (e-mail or telephone number) must be entered truthfully.
- You can describe the facts of the case, define the period of the offense and name persons involved in the criminal proceedings or evidence.
- The registration is accompanied by legal instructions (witness and accused person instructions as well as the requirement to file a criminal complaint and notice of discontinuation).
- Once you have entered all the required data, you can send the report. You will receive an e-mail confirmation and a case number.
- Your report will be forwarded by a central office to the responsible department for further processing. It may take several days from the time you send your report until it is processed.
- If the person in charge has any questions about the facts of the case, you will be contacted independently. A criminal complaint must always be submitted for offenses that are the subject of a complaint or private prosecution. In this case too, the responsible case handler will contact you.
You can make a report informally, by telephone, online and at the police station. The online police station is an additional service.
You can use the online police station of the Lower Saxony police to report simple, criminal matters to the Lower Saxony police directly or provide information around the clock.
If you wish to visit a Lower Saxony police station with your concerns,the respective local police station is responsible for you.
There are no prerequisites for reporting and providing information. Further measures depend on the applicable legal framework, also with regard to the possible criminal offense.
In the case of certain criminal offenses (e.g. offenses for which a complaint has been filed, private prosecution offenses), it may also be necessary to file a criminal complaint in addition to filing a report. In this case, the responsible police processing department will contact you without being asked after you have filed the digital report.
If you have any further questions or require additional documents, the responsible police processing department will contact you without being asked after you have filed the report digitally.
It is also possible to attach photos, receipts or documents to the report as electronic attachments. This option should be used in particular to send evidence (proof of purchase, receipts or pictures of stolen items, damaged items or screenshots of screen content) to the police with the report.
Fee: free of charge
In the case of offenses for which an application has been filed or private prosecution offenses, the three-month time limit for filing a criminal application must be observed. You should observe the respective limitation periods, as criminal offenses generally expire after a certain period of time.
The processing time depends on various factors. It is not possible to set a time limit
- §§ Sections 163 (1) in conjunction with 152 (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO)
- § Section 158 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO)
- § 53 d. Administrative Offenses Act (OwiG)
- § Section 46 (1) of the Administrative Offenses Act (OWiG) in conjunction with § Section 158 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO)
- §§ Sections 1 (1) and (2), 12, 13, 30 and 31 of the Lower Saxony Police and Regulatory Authorities Act (NPOG) and Sections 38 and 39 NPOG on data storage
not applicable
The online watch is not suitable for receiving emergency calls. In such cases, please call the police immediately via the emergency number 110 or the nearest police station.
We would like to point out that, as the person making the report, you are also a witness in criminal proceedings and must provide truthful information. False statements can be punishable. In particular, the following offenses can be considered:
- Pretending to commit a criminal offense (Section 145d StGB)
- False suspicion (Section 164 StGB)
- Aiding and abetting (Section 257 StGB) and
- obstruction of justice (§ 258 StGB)
As a witness, you can refuse to give evidence if the accused is a close relative or if you would incriminate yourself or a close relative by giving evidence. You can find more details in the right of relatives of the accused to refuse to give evidence (Section 52 StPO) or in the right to refuse to provide information (Section 55 StPO). As a witness, you are obliged to provide truthful information about yourself. According to § 111 of the Administrative Offenses Act (OWiG), incorrect personal details constitute an administrative offence and can be punished with a fine. It may be necessary to summon you to the relevant police station for questioning as part of further processing.
Anyone who is aware of a criminal offense but does not report it may be liable to prosecution. Crimes such as murder, robbery, war crimes and treason must be reported.
A criminal complaint cannot be withdrawn. You should therefore think carefully about whether you want to press charges. According to the principle of legality, the authorities are then obliged to investigate.
Only if there are no grounds for investigation will the investigation be closed by the public prosecutor's office. The chances of success vary depending on the type of offense. Basically, the more information you provide, the higher the chances of the police finding the perpetrator.
Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior and Sport
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
