Access Syracuse Police Blotter Records

Syracuse police blotter records are available through the Syracuse Police Department's Records Division at the Public Safety Building on South State Street. The department handles incident reports, arrest records, and criminal history checks for city residents. For county-level records, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office and County Clerk's Office hold additional materials. FOIL requests for city police records go to the Syracuse Police Department or the City Clerk.

Onondaga County Police Records

Syracuse is the county seat of Onondaga County. The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office and other county agencies maintain records separate from the city. For county-level records, court records, and sheriff's office information, visit the Onondaga County page.

View Onondaga County Police Records

Syracuse Police Department

The Syracuse Police Department is at the Public Safety Building on South State Street. The Records Division handles requests for copies of police reports, arrest records, and related documents. You can visit in person, send a mail request, or call the division directly.

To get a copy of a police report or arrest record, contact the Records Division at (315) 442-5277. You can visit in person at the Public Safety Building, send a mail request, or call for guidance on what to include. The Records Division can tell you what information and fees are required for your specific request.

How to Search Syracuse Police Blotter Records

Syracuse public records, under New York's Freedom of Information Law, include any document or information produced, filed, held, maintained, or reproduced by local or state agencies. Records may be in paper or electronic format. The law gives you access to most records, with limited exceptions.

For police reports and blotter records, call the SPD Records Division at (315) 442-5277. You can also visit in person at the Public Safety Building. To send a mail request, describe the records as clearly as possible. Include the full name of the person involved, date and location of the incident, and any report or case number you have.

Accident reports from the state are available through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Online requests cost $7 for search plus $15 for the report. Mail requests cost $10 per search plus $15 per report using form MV-198C. Contact the NYS DMV for more details on this process.

Court records for Syracuse cases are held at several courts. Onondaga County Supreme Court is at 401 Montgomery Street. Onondaga County Court is at 505 South State Street. Syracuse City Court is also at 505 South State Street. For court record access, contact the specific court directly or the Onondaga County Clerk.

Inmate information for Syracuse-area inmates goes through the Onondaga Justice Center, maintained by the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office. Call the Jail Inmate Information Unit at (315) 435-1781. The Jamesville Correctional Facility is at 6660 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville, NY 13078 for longer-term county sentences.

FOIL Requests for Syracuse Police Records

The Freedom of Information Law covers most government records in New York. Agencies must respond to FOIL requests within five business days. The response can be the records themselves, a denial with written reasons, or an acknowledgment with an estimated date for the decision.

Grounds for redacting or withholding police blotter records include: personal privacy; interference with contract awards or union negotiations; law enforcement records that would interfere with ongoing investigations or judicial proceedings; records that could deprive someone of a fair trial; records identifying confidential sources; records that reveal criminal investigative techniques; and certain inter-agency materials.

If your request is denied, you have 30 days to file a written appeal. The appeal officer has 10 business days to respond. Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page. Electronic records are typically free unless compiling them takes more than two hours of staff time.

For the City Clerk's FOIL process, contact Syracuse City Clerk at 233 East Washington Street, Room 231, Syracuse, NY 13202. Phone: (315) 448-8216. The City Clerk issues certified copies of marriage records from 1908 to date. For FOIL guidance from the state, see opengovernment.ny.gov.

Syracuse Police Blotter Record Types

Police blotter records in Syracuse cover a range of document types. Here is where to find the most common ones.

Incident reports and crime reports from the SPD Records Division: call (315) 442-5277 or visit 511 South State Street. You need the full name, date, location, and ideally the report number.

Arrest records are available through the SPD Records Division. Booking information, charges, and case status can often be found through a FOIL request if you are not the subject of the record. The Syracuse crime statistics from 2018 showed 1,006 violent crimes and 4,420 property crimes, giving a sense of the volume of records the department handles.

Accident reports go through the NYS DMV when filed on form MV-104. Online requests cost $7 for the search plus $15 per report at the DMV portal. Mail requests use form MV-198C at $10 per search plus $15 per report.

Vital records: Birth certificates from Onondaga County are at 421 Montgomery Street, Civic Center Basement Level, Room 20, Syracuse, NY 13202. Phone: (315) 435-3241. First copy costs $30; additional copies are $15 each. Marriage records from the City Clerk at 233 East Washington Street cost $10 per copy.

Inmate records for county jail: Onondaga Justice Center, call (315) 435-1781. State prison inmate records are searchable through the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Inmate Lookup tool online.

Criminal history checks statewide go through the NYS Office of Court Administration at 25 Beaver Street, New York, NY 10004. Phone: (212) 428-2810. Fee: $95 per name searched.

Sex offender registry: Available online at criminaljustice.ny.gov or by calling (800) 262-3257.

Syracuse and Onondaga County Records Resources

Syracuse Police Blotter Resources

Nearby Cities

Other Central New York communities with police blotter records pages.

• Clay
• Union