Report a crime or police misconduct — by country
Where to report a crime — and, separately, where to complain about police conduct or treatment in detention. Each country page also shows the emergency number to call first.
In an emergency, call the country's emergency number (shown on each country page) before anything else. Complaints about the police themselves usually go to a separate oversight body — an ombudsman or human-rights commission — not the police station. In the Gulf and South Asia, know your local rights before recording officers or refusing to identify yourself; the rules differ sharply from the US or UK.
| Country | Official body | Call | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | DOJ — Civil Rights DivisionComplaints about police misconduct and civil-rights violations; local complaints usually start with the department's internal affairs or a civilian oversight board.Legal basis: Federal civil-rights statutes (incl. 42 U.S.C. § 1983) | — | www.justice.gov/crt |
| United Arab Emirates | Ministry of InteriorPolice services and crime reporting across the emirates. Dial 999 for emergencies.Legal basis: UAE Penal Code (Federal Decree-Law 31/2021) | 999 (emergency) | www.moi.gov.ae/en/Home.aspx |
| Saudi Arabia | Public ProsecutionInvestigates and charges serious crime, including fraud and assault, and oversees the lawfulness of detention.Legal basis: Law of Criminal Procedure | — | www.pp.gov.sa/en |
| Qatar | Public ProsecutionInvestigates and charges serious crime, including fraud and assault.Legal basis: Code of Criminal Procedure (Law 23/2004) | — | www.pp.gov.qa/en |
| Bahrain | Ombudsman (Ministry of Interior)Independent Ombudsman for complaints of police or security-force misconduct, including mistreatment in detention.Legal basis: Ombudsman mandate (MOI Decree 27/2012) | — | www.ombudsman.gov.bh |
| Kuwait | Public ProsecutionKuwait's Public Prosecution — where criminal complaints, including serious fraud and assault, are investigated and charged.Legal basis: Code of Criminal Procedure | — | www.pp.gov.kw |
| Oman | Royal Oman PolicePrimary investigator for crime and cybercrime — online fraud, blackmail, sextortion, and identity theft under the Cyber Crime Law (Royal Decree 12/2011). Dial 9999 for emergencies; file cyber cases at the nearest station or the ROP citizen portal.Legal basis: Cyber Crime Law (Royal Decree 12/2011) | 9999 (emergency) | www.rop.gov.om/english |
| United Kingdom | GOV.UK — Your rights on arrestOfficial guide to your rights on arrest and at the police station — including free legal advice in custody. Complaints about police go to the IOPC.Legal basis: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) | — | www.gov.uk/arrested-your-rights |
| Ireland | An Garda SíochánaNational police — report crime, fraud, and image-based abuse under Coco's Law. Dial 112 or 999 for emergencies.Legal basis: Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 (Coco's Law) | 112 or 999 (emergency) | www.garda.ie |
| France | Police / Gendarmerie nationaleReport a crime or file a complaint (plainte); a pre-complaint can be started online. The IGPN handles complaints about national-police misconduct.Legal basis: Code de procédure pénale | 17 (police) / 112 | www.interieur.gouv.fr |
| Germany | PolizeiReport a crime (Anzeige) in person or via the state Onlinewache; the police cybercrime contact points (ZAC) handle online fraud and hacking. Dial 110 in an emergency.Legal basis: Strafprozessordnung (StPO) | 110 (emergency) | www.polizei.de |
| Denmark | PolitiReport a crime online or by phone; the Independent Police Complaints Authority (Politiklagemyndigheden) handles misconduct. Dial 112 in an emergency, 114 otherwise.Legal basis: Retsplejeloven (Administration of Justice Act) | 114 (non-emergency) / 112 | politi.dk/anmeld-noget |
| Iceland | LögreglanReport a crime or cybercrime; CERT-IS handles cyber incidents. Dial 112 in an emergency.Legal basis: Code of Criminal Procedure (Lög um meðferð sakamála) | 112 (emergency) | www.logreglan.is |
| Canada | Civilian Review & Complaints Commission (RCMP)Independent complaints about RCMP conduct; provinces with their own police forces have their own oversight bodies (e.g., Ontario's OIPRD/LECA, BC's OPCC).Legal basis: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act | — | www.crcc-ccetp.gc.ca/en/make-a-complaint |
| Australia | Police / Commonwealth OmbudsmanReport crime to state/territory police or the Australian Federal Police; complaints about police conduct go to the state police-oversight body or the Commonwealth Ombudsman.Legal basis: State and Commonwealth criminal law | 000 (emergency) | www.afp.gov.au/contact-us/your-rights |
| New Zealand | Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA)Independent complaints about police conduct; dial 111 for emergencies and 105 to report non-emergencies.Legal basis: Independent Police Conduct Authority Act 1988 | 111 (emergency) | www.ipca.govt.nz |
| Mexico | Fiscalía / Guardia NacionalMost crimes are reported to your state prosecutor's office (Fiscalía / Ministerio Público); the Guardia Nacional takes reports of online fraud, extortion and cyber-crime, and 911 is the emergency line.Legal basis: Código Nacional de Procedimientos Penales | — | www.gob.mx/guardianacional |
Each entry links to the official body and shows the date we last verified it. This is legal information, not advice, and we don't take payment to list anyone. See the full country directories for every channel, not just the headline one.