Smithtown Police Blotter Records

Smithtown police blotter records come primarily from the Suffolk County Police Department, which provides police services to the Town of Smithtown through the 4th Precinct. The town has about 116,000 residents and sits about 40 miles east of New York City in Suffolk County. For most incident reports, arrest records, and police reports in Smithtown, the SCPD Central Records Section and FOIL portal are your starting point.

Suffolk County Police Records

Smithtown is in Suffolk County. The Suffolk County Police Department handles law enforcement for the town, and the Suffolk County Clerk maintains court and county records. For county-wide records resources, visit the Suffolk County page.

View Suffolk County Police Records

Suffolk County Police Department - 4th Precinct

The Town of Smithtown is served by the Suffolk County Police Department 4th Precinct. The SCPD is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Smithtown. Some portions of the town may also be covered by the New York State Police and the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office for specific matters.

All subpoenas for SCPD records must be served at the Central Records Section at Police Headquarters in Yaphank. Legal matters go through the Legal Bureau. For standard requests, use the FOIL portal or contact Central Records directly.

How to Access Smithtown Police Blotter Records

Most police blotter records for Smithtown come from the SCPD. The process depends on whether you are an involved party or a member of the general public.

For incident reports and arrest records, start with the SCPD FOIL portal at suffolkpd.org. You can submit an online request describing the records you need. Provide the date and location of the incident, the case or report number if you have it, and the full name of the party involved. The department must respond within five business days.

Crash reports may also be available through the SCPD website or through the NYS DMV. If the accident report was filed on state form MV-104, you can request a copy from the DMV. Online DMV requests cost $7 for the search plus $15 for the report. Mail requests use form MV-198C at $10 per search plus $15 per report.

Court records for Smithtown cases go through the Suffolk County court system. Contact the Suffolk County Clerk at 310 Center Drive, Riverhead, NY 11901 for court records and criminal case filings. For case lookups, the New York State Unified Court System e-Courts portal is also available online.

The Smithtown Public Library at 1 North Country Road, Smithtown, NY 11787 can also assist with public records research. Library staff can point you toward FOIL guidance materials, court record lookup tools, and other resources.

FOIL Requests for Smithtown Police Records

The Freedom of Information Law in New York gives every person the right to access government records with certain limited exceptions. For SCPD records in Smithtown, use the online FOIL portal at suffolkpd.org. Describe the records as specifically as you can.

Agencies must respond within five business days of receiving a written request. They can provide the records, deny the request in writing with reasons, or send an acknowledgment with an estimated date. If your request is denied, you have 30 days to appeal in writing. The appeal officer has 10 business days to respond.

Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page. Electronic records are generally free unless gathering them takes more than two hours of staff time. Some records are exempt from release. These include records tied to open investigations, confidential source identities, records that could endanger public safety, and sealed court records. You cannot use FOIL to get sealed records; those require a court order.

New York's crime statistics show that Smithtown had a total of 5,845 reported crimes in 2019. Crime data for Smithtown is officially compiled by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. DCJS maintains official crime statistics for all municipalities in the state.

For FOIL rights and guidance, visit opengovernment.ny.gov. The NYS Committee on Open Government also issues advisory opinions on specific FOIL questions.

Smithtown Police Blotter Record Types

Different types of police records in Smithtown are held by different agencies.

Incident reports and arrest records from the SCPD: submit through the FOIL portal at suffolkpd.org or visit Central Records at 30 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank, NY 11980. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:45 PM.

Accident reports: Available through the SCPD portal or the NYS DMV depending on the type of report. State form MV-104 reports go to the DMV. Provide the date, names of involved parties, and location for any accident report request.

Criminal court records: The Suffolk County Clerk at 310 Center Drive, Riverhead, NY 11901 handles court records for criminal cases filed in Suffolk County. For case lookups, try the New York State Unified Court System online portal first.

Inmate records: Inmates held at the Suffolk County jail are tracked by the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office. Contact the Sheriff's Office for inmate status and custody information. State prison inmates are searchable through the NYS DOCCS Inmate Lookup tool online.

Criminal history searches and fingerprinting: Statewide criminal history checks go through the NYS Office of Court Administration at $95 per name. DCJS processes fingerprint cards for licensing and other official purposes.

Sex offender registry: Search at criminaljustice.ny.gov or call (800) 262-3257. The registry is free and searchable by name or location.

Smithtown and Suffolk County Records Resources

Smithtown Police Records Resources

Nearby Cities

Other Suffolk County communities with police blotter records pages.

• Huntington
• Brookhaven
• Islip