New York City Police Blotter

New York City police blotter records come from the New York Police Department, the largest municipal police force in the country. If you need to find an incident report, check arrest information, or pull a copy of a police report for any of the five boroughs, the NYPD Criminal Records Unit is your starting point. The city serves more than 8 million residents across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. You can request a Verification of Incident online through nypdonline.org, or submit a full FOIL request by mail to get complete complaint reports and other records that are not available through the basic online service.

New York County Handles Most Manhattan Records

New York City spans five counties: New York County (Manhattan), Kings County (Brooklyn), Queens County, Bronx County, and Richmond County (Staten Island). Each borough has its own criminal and civil courts. For Manhattan incidents, filings go through New York County. The NYPD, however, operates citywide, so most police blotter and incident report requests go to a single central unit regardless of which borough the event occurred in.

The Criminal Records Unit at One Police Plaza handles all Verification of Incident requests and is the main contact for police blotter data across the city. For court-related records, each borough's County Clerk maintains separate files. The New York County Clerk covers Manhattan cases and can be reached through the state court system at nycourts.gov.

View New York County Records

NYPD Records and Contact Information

The New York Police Department Criminal Records Unit handles all requests for police blotter and incident information. NYPD is headquartered at One Police Plaza in lower Manhattan. The Records Unit phone line is available Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Mailed requests are the primary method for getting complete police reports, since many records are not available for pickup in person.

The NYPD runs 77 precincts across the five boroughs, each with its own Community Affairs officer and Detective Squad. If you need to contact a specific precinct, the NYPD website at nyc.gov/nypd has a full directory with addresses and phone numbers for every precinct. For non-emergency matters, 311 is the city's main line. Call 911 only for emergencies.

How to Search New York City Police Blotter Records

There are a few ways to get police blotter and incident records from the NYPD. The simplest is the online Verification of Incident form. This gives you a brief summary of an incident and is free. It does not include the full complaint report. For the complete record, you need a FOIL request.

To use the online service, go to nypdonline.org and fill out Form PD 542-061. You can also pick up this form at any police precinct, housing police service area, or transit district. Non-collision injury records (called Aided Records) use Form PD 304-161 and must be requested by mail only. All reports come back by mail. The NYPD does not release reports at the counter or for in-person pickup.

The NYPD also offers an online reporting service for certain types of incidents where no immediate police response was needed. This includes lost property, minor thefts with no suspect information, vandalism, identity theft, and similar low-level incidents. Use nypdonline.org/link/1017 to file one of these. Reports submitted more than 30 days after an event are deleted automatically.

For complete police blotter data or arrest logs, a FOIL request is required. Mail your written request to the Criminal Records Unit. Include the incident date, location, report number if you have it, and the names of any people involved. The NYPD is required by law to acknowledge your request within five business days under Public Officers Law §84-90.

FOIL Requests for NYPD Police Blotter Records

New York's Freedom of Information Law, Public Officers Law §84-90, gives the public the right to request records held by government agencies including the NYPD. The law creates a presumption of access. Records are public unless a specific exemption applies. Common exemptions for police records include ongoing investigations, records that could identify confidential informants, and records that would endanger someone's life or safety.

Under Public Officers Law §87, the NYPD must respond to your request within five business days. They can acknowledge receipt and give you an estimated date for response if they need more time. Extensive requests can take significantly longer. The NYPD has a high volume of FOIL requests, and complex requests often require 30 or more business days to process. You will be notified of fees before any records are sent.

If your FOIL request is denied, you have 30 days to file a written appeal. Under Public Officers Law §89(3), the agency must respond to your appeal within ten business days. If the appeal is also denied, you can challenge the decision through an Article 78 proceeding in court. More information about FOIL rights and procedures is available through the NY Committee on Open Government.

Types of Police Blotter Records Available

The NYPD maintains many different types of records that are available through the FOIL process. The most common request is for complaint reports, which document incidents reported to police. These show the nature of the complaint, the date and location, and the responding officers. Arrest records are also available and include booking information and charges. Accident reports involving NYPD-investigated collisions can be obtained separately.

Other records include use of force documentation, officer disciplinary records (following the repeal of Civil Rights Law Section 50-a in 2020), civilian complaint records, and internal affairs files. Statistical data such as crime counts by precinct and arrest totals are also public. The NYPD publishes some of this data proactively on the NYC Open Data portal. Check opendata.cityofnewyork.us for datasets that may answer your question without a formal FOIL request.

Certain records cannot be released. Records sealed under Criminal Procedure Law 160.50 are not public. Juvenile records have their own rules. Active investigation records may be withheld to protect the investigation. The NYPD will tell you in writing if they deny any part of your request and cite the specific exemption that applies.

NYPD Records Portals

Below are screenshots of the NYPD online records tools used to access police blotter information in New York City.

Legal Resources for NYC Police Records

Several organizations can help you navigate the FOIL process in New York City. The New York Civil Liberties Union has a FOIL toolkit at nyclu.org that explains how to write effective requests and what to do if you're denied. The state's Committee on Open Government at opengovernment.ny.gov offers guidance and will answer questions about the law.

The Legal Aid Society and New York Legal Assistance Group both serve low-income residents of New York City who need help with legal matters. NYC has a 311 information line and also runs the NYC311 website where you can find contact information for city agencies. The New York State Bar Association's lawyer referral service can connect you with an attorney if your records matter involves litigation.

For court records related to criminal cases in any of the five boroughs, the New York State Unified Court System at nycourts.gov maintains case information and docket data. The WebCrims system provides online access to pending criminal case information. Each borough's courthouse can also be contacted directly for records inquiries.

Nearby Cities

Other major cities near New York City where police blotter records are maintained: