Can I Access Police Reports

How Do I Submit A Request For Information

To submit a request send the request via mail, fax, or email to the agency. Some agencies list specific departments or people whose job it is to respond to PRA requests, so check their websites or call them for further info. Always keep a copy of your request so that you can show what you submitted and when.

Templates for Sample Requests

Incident Based Request: Use this template if you want records related to a particular incident, like the investigative record for a specific police shooting, an arrest where you believe an officer may have been found to have filed a false report, or to find out whether complaint that an officer committed sexual assault was sustained.

The First Amendment Coalition also has some useful information to help explain the PRA process.

When Should I Expect A Response

The law requires that an agency respond to any Public Record Act request in 10 days, acknowledging the request, giving a timeline for a full response and informing the requestor if they are claiming any exemptions.11 An agency can ask for a 14-day extension to respond to the request. The more extensive the request, or if it may require a lot of redactions to keep certain information confidential, the longer it may take to respond. While agencies are supposed to respond promptly, many agencies often take a long time. If you haven’t heard from them, follow-up reminding them that you are still awaiting a response, and document every contact with the agency.

Also, if you are seeking information about a relatively-recent serious use of force, an agency has the right but is not required to temporarily withhold the relevant documents if there is an ongoing criminal or administrative investigation that could be harmed by the release of these documents.12 How long the agency can withhold depends on whether investigation is criminal or just administrative, but in most cases it cannot withhold longer than 18 months after the incident occurred. If criminal charges are filed, the material can be withheld until the criminal case has ended.13

How To Make A Request

Requests may be submitted in writing by completing this form and must include the $5.00 non-waivable and non-refundable application fee. M.F.I.P.P.A. prescribes a processing fee schedule that we may apply for either personal or general information. If the anticipated fees exceed $25.00 you will be contacted by a Disclosure Analyst and given a fee estimate prior to the request being processed. If the fee estimate is $100.00 or more, you may be required to pay a 50% deposit prior to the request being processed with the balance due upon completion.

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What Type Of Records Can I Now Get Access To

SB 1421 gives the public the right to access three categories of records related to investigation and discipline of peace officers:

• Records related to any incident where a law enforcement officer fired a gun at a person , or used force that resulted in serious injury or death. You can get these records whether the department found the officer acted properly or not.1
• Records related to incidents where the agency found that an officer committed sexual assault against a member of the publicwhich includes attempts to coerce sex or proposition sex while on duty.2
• Records related to incidents where the agency found that an officer engaged in dishonesty in the investigation, reporting, or prosecution of crime or police misconduct. This kind of dishonesty could include filing a false report, testifying untruthfully, or planting evidence.3

You are entitled to any documents still in an agency’s possession, no matter how old they are.

Finding The Descriptions Of Crimes For Different Penal Code Sections

Police records usually refer to penal code sections in describing crimes police are investigating.

For example, section 187 of the penal code is for homicides.

How can you find out which crimes the various sections of the state penal code stand for?

The Berkeley Police Department has a list of commonly used penal code sections and which crimes they refer to. Thats at:

At the site check the box next to Penal Code. In the search box type in the number for the penal code section youre interested in .

At the search results page, click on the first listing. That should give you the penal code section youre seeking .

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Freedom Of Information Act For Police Records

Police departments usually have a bunch of records publicly available on their websites. When it comes to police reports, they might not be easily accessible. Police departments are not willing to publicly display certain information, especially the details regarding crime and arrests. If you cant find the report you seek in the police departments library, you can invoke the Freedom of Information Act.

To obtain information from police reports, you will need to submit a FOIA request. Be aware that there are certain exemptions to the FOIA. You might not be able to access records that:

The methods of filing a FOIA request for police reports differ from department to department. The Chicago Police Department, as well as the Michigan police, require written FOIA requests.

You might have to fill out a FOIA request form, but not all police departments provide one. In case you cant find the form for the agency you want to retrieve records from, you can use a FOIA request template as a guide.

The templates contain only rough information on how to write a FOIA request. If you dont want to waste time and risk omitting important details, use DoNotPay to file police reports FOIA requests effortlessly.

To Access State Or Territory Government Information

To access information that a state or territory government agency holds, contact the agency you think holds the information. We dont hold the records of other agencies.

For more information, contact the agency that regulates freedom of information law in the relevant state or territory.

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What Type Of Records Do I Still Not Have Access To

The only records of police misconduct that you can access are those that fall under the three categories listed above: serious uses of force, sexual assault, and dishonesty related to investigations. Records of other types of police misconduct are still secret. Also, while you can access the records of investigation for serious uses of force regardless of whether the agency found that the use of force was wrong, for allegations of sexual assault and job-related dishonesty, you can only access those records if the agency determined that the officer was guilty of misconduct in violation of policy, and the time to appeal that determination has passed.4

In addition, the agency has the right to redact or withhold certain confidential information, like the names of witnesses, or the home address of the officer involved.5

Can The Agency Ask Me To Pay For The Time It Takes Them To Locate Files Or Redact Audio Or Video

No. The Public Records Act allows agencies only the charge for the “direct costs of duplication, or a statutory fee if appliable.”9 That means that agencies can charge for the costs of paper and ink, or for the disks or drives on which they provide data, but cannot charge for the time their staff spend finding records, making copies or even redacting documents. Despite this, for several years, police agencies still tried to charge requestors an hourly rate, often amounting to thousands of dollars, for the time their staff spent editing body camera video to redact confidential information, arguing that editing video was more like programming a computer to extract data than it was like redacting a document.

However, on May 28, 2020, the California Supreme Court in National Lawyers Guild v. City of Hayward rejected this argument10 and held that the Public Records Act does not allow police departments to charge requestors of police body camera footage for the staff time required to locate that footage and edit it to redact audio & video to remove private information.

If an agency has tried to charge you for the time required to make redactions in audio or video, please see our model follow-up lettera> notifying them of the Hayward decision and informing them such charges are unlawful.

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To Get A Police Check

A police or criminal history check is a document that lists all court outcomes and pending charges for an individual. The information is collected from the databases of all Australian police jurisdictions. You may need a police check when you start a new job, adopt a child or work overseas.

Citizen Online Report Entry

If your incident:

• Requires IMMEDIATE police attendance or a lengthy on-scene investigation
• Is related to Domestic Violence
• Involves an Emotionally Disturbed Person
• Involves the reporting of Theft of E-Bike
• Is motivated by hate bias

Please call the Toronto Police at 416-808-2222 and DO NOT submit your report online.If this is an emergency, please call 911.

In order for the Toronto Police Service to process your CORE report, the following information is MANDATORY

• Your EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER and other contact information.
• The INCIDENT START AND END DATE
• The LOCATION of the incident, including the place or area your property was believed stolen.
• Please CREATE A SEPARATE PROPERTY ENTRY for EACH piece of property that you are reporting stolen.

The accuracy of the information you provide in the report greatly assists the Toronto Police Service in investigating your report. Please ensure it is as COMPLETE AND CONCISE as possible.

If you have filed a report online and would like to add/change/update your report, please submit a Supplemental Report.

It is the policy of the Toronto Police Service to not accept reports of non-emergency incidents that occur outside of the City of Toronto.

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What Is A General Offense Report

A General Offense Report is the standard format for initial crime reports that are written up by a police officer responding to an incident. Many of these will be responses to 9-1-1 calls. Others will be on-view incidents, which is an incident an officer sees and responds to, without being called to the scene.

Facts Versus Opinions In Police Reports

The information contained in the police report can be a fact or an opinion. For example, the date, time, and location of the collision are facts. Fault determinations are the opinions of the police officer.

Regardless of what’s included in the police report, the insurance company, through its own investigation, will come to its own conclusion as to who was at fault for the accident.

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What Can I Do If There Is Inaccurate Information On My Dbs Certificate

Your right to access does not cover criminal records checks for employment purposes, known as a DBS check . If a criminal records check is required for your work then your employer should explain how to apply for this appropriately.

If you have any concerns about the accuracy of personal data on your DBS certificate, you can raise this with the DBS. This could include incorrect personal details, incorrect conviction information or other discrepancies.

If the inaccuracy relates to an offence you did not commit, this would have to be raised with the local police force. If you are concerned about an entry in the Police National Computer record, you will have to raise this with ACRO.

For support and advice on criminal records, contact Unlock or NACRO.

If A Report About Me Is Online Can It Be Removed

Reports on certain crimes, such as sexual assaults and those involving children, are not listed on this site to protect the identity of the victims. Additionally, addresses, victim names and other identifying information have been redacted from all of the reports available online.

If you see information about a crime you were involved in and believe the information is inaccurate – please contact the followup detective in your case and talk to them directly about the information.

If you are upset that a report is online and want it removed entirely, contact SPD Legal Unit at 206-233-5141 to discuss this on a case by case basis.

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Reports You Can Submit Online

• Theft from vehicle no limit on value of property
• Theft of property no limit on value of property
• Theft of credit or debit card – regardless of fraudulent use.
• Mischief to vehicle such as vandalism, unless there is evidence of a collision such as paint transfer
• Mischief to property such as vandalism
• Lost property with the exception of government-issued ID such as passports. Please call your local district office to report lost government issued documents.
• Attempted stolen vehicle regardless of damage value
• Break & enter an unlocked premise Entry gained by unknown persons to detached garages, secure parkades, vehicle parkades, porches, sheds, storage lockers and laundry rooms. If entry occurs by forced or kicked indoor, or lock cut then report should be reported to 403-266-1234.
• Theft from a parkade or vehicle parked in a parkade only if no forced entry, otherwise call 403-266-1234.
• Theft of mail including deliveries from postal services such as UPS.

Filing a false police report is a crime.

Note: Please turn off your pop-up blocking software before filing the report.

How Do I Get A Copy Of A Police Report

Police investigations may seem secretive, but did you know you can get your hands on a copy of an official police report? Whether youve been in a car accident, youve witnessed a crime, or you simply want to know about an incident that happened in your jurisdiction, there are steps you can take to request access to police reports.

The exact process may vary by jurisdiction, but it is generally the same across the country. Agencies have different policies for releasing sensitive information that is in police reports, so be sure to check with your local police department to confirm how they handle requests. As you are researching, you may find the request titled a Freedom of Information Request or a Public Access Request. Different areas use varying language, but they both mean the same thing and are referring to the Freedom of Information Act , which makes it entirely legal for citizens to request certain government information.

Reports will include details of the incident, where it took place, who was involved, witnesses, and much more essentially, it is anything that is even remotely relevant to the case. But keep in mind, you will not be able to receive a copy of a police report until after the police investigation has been closed.

So, how do you get a copy of this information? Check out the steps below.

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Rti And Ip Access Applications

If the documents you want to access are not available through the QPS’s administrative access policies, you will need to apply under the RTI or IP Act. To make an RTI or IP application, you need to complete an RTI/IP application form . If you are using the hardcopy application form you can post it to:

Right to Information

What Type Of Documents Will The Agency Produce

The term “record” should include all documents related to the incident, including any reports created by the agency, the records of its investigations, photographic and video evidence, and the agency’s disciplinary decisions.6 If you are only interested in certain types of recordslike a disciplinary decision or an autopsy report you can request the specific type of record you want, and that may actually help you get a response to your request more quickly. Agencies also have an obligation to work with you to identify the documents that are responsive to your request.7

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How To Get A Police Report For A Car Accident

After you have been in a car accident, one of the first questions your insurance provider will ask you is do you have a copy of the police report? Obtaining accident reports is a similar process to the one above, but it is generally a bit easier because in most cases, there is no criminal investigation. If you are in a car accident, you will receive a slip with an incident number on it. To obtain your police report, simply visit the police department that the report was filed from and trade the sheet for the actual report. If you do not obtain your police report, your insurance company will have to request a copy via mail, and it will take a bit longer.

There are also resources online that house accident reports, like LexisNexis and Buycrash. However, the safest and quickest option to is visit your local Police Desk as soon as possible after the accident. Accident reports can be ready to pick-up as early as 24 hours after the accident, and up to a week. Another way to get a copy of a police report is through your local Department of Motor Vehicles.

Now that you know about how to get a copy of a police report, check out How To File a Police Report.