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Police Records

The purpose of the Police Records Division is to keep track of the 32,000 cases, 12,500 citations, and 2,400 criminal complaints that officers generate, on the average, each year.  The Division is staffed by a special classification employee known as a Police Records Technician, or PRT. 

One task that consumes significant PRT time is the reproduction of official police reports as requested by individuals, District Attorneys, private attorneys, law enforcement and county agencies, and insurance companies.  At first glance, this might appear to be a rather mundane function of merely locating and copying the case file and mailing it out; however, release of any information from a police department triggers an elaborate matrix of both departmental and state regulations that specify exactly what information may be released, to whom, and under what circumstances.

For that reason, PRT's must constantly be updated on changing legislation and policies to remain within compliance, and for that reason as well, the production of a report might take longer than one would anticipate.  PRT's bear individual accountability for the information they release, either by paper copy, or over the telephone. They must follow guidelines set forth by the "California Public Records Act" and adhere strictly to Government, Evidence, Labor and Civil codes when releasing reports.  A PRT will comply with your written request within ten days or you will be notified by mail if your request cannot be fulfilled, along with a refund, if applicable and the reason why.  

For information on obtaining a copy of a police report, click the link below:

                        How to obtain an official copy of a police report

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