Find Police Blotter in Utica
The Utica Police Department maintains police blotter records and incident data for this Oneida County city around the clock. FOIL requests for Utica police records go through the City Clerk's Office at 1 Kennedy Plaza. The City of Utica also publishes all police officer personnel records online as part of a transparency initiative. This page explains how to request blotter data, incident reports, and related records in Utica, including key contacts, fee details, and how the FOIL process works.
Utica Overview
Oneida County Records
Utica is in Oneida County. The Oneida County Sheriff's Office maintains records for incidents in unincorporated parts of the county separate from city records. The Sheriff's Records Unit is at 6065 Judd Road, Oriskany, NY 13424, (315) 765-2233. For county-level police blotter access and related resources, visit the Oneida County page.
Utica Police Department
The Utica Police Department operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their headquarters is at 413 Oriskany Street West, Utica, New York 13502. The main phone numbers are (315) 735-3301 and (315) 223-3469. Sgt. Michael Curley serves as Public Information Officer and can be reached at mcurley@uticapd.com for press and public information inquiries.
The department is organized into uniformed patrol, investigative, criminal investigation, support and services divisions, and administrative divisions covering human resources, personnel, payroll, medical, and building maintenance. Community services include theft identification, burglary prevention, vehicle and home safety, and an alarm billing and tracking program. The department also handles sex offender registration and enforcement. The City of Utica publishes all police officer personnel records online at cityofutica.com in an effort to maintain transparency.
| Department | Utica Police Department |
|---|---|
| Address | 413 Oriskany Street West, Utica, NY 13502 |
| Phone | (315) 735-3301 / (315) 223-3469 |
| Hours | 24/7 Operations |
| Public Information | Sgt. Michael Curley: mcurley@uticapd.com |
| Command Staff | Chief Mark Williams, Deputy Chief Ed Noonan |
| Website | cityofutica.com |
How to Search the Utica Police Blotter
FOIL requests for Utica police blotter records go through the City Clerk's Office rather than directly through the police department. This is an important distinction compared to many other New York cities.
Contact the City Clerk's Office at 1 Kennedy Plaza, Utica, NY 13502. The main phone is (315) 792-0115 and fax is (315) 792-0220. Bianca R. Morales is the City Clerk, and Pricilla Garcia serves as FOIL Clerk for specific FOIL inquiries at the same number. The office assigns tracking numbers to all requests, sends acknowledgment letters, and provides completion letters when the request is fulfilled.
For a specific incident report, call the police department directly at (315) 735-3301 to ask whether the report is ready and which process applies. Parties directly involved may be able to get reports at the department. Third parties go through the City Clerk FOIL process.
For accident reports specifically, ask about current availability. The Oneida County Sheriff's Records Unit at (315) 765-2233 also maintains complaint, accident, and arrest data from 1988 to present. Their database is intended to be accessible indefinitely, and records older than five years are stored off-site but can be provided with additional processing time.
FOIL Requests for Utica Police Records
New York's Freedom of Information Law, Public Officers Law Article 6, Sections 84 through 90, governs public access to government records. The City of Utica acknowledges FOIL requests within five business days of receipt. Under the law, agencies may take up to 20 business days or longer for extensive requests to submit legally releasable documents.
Submit FOIL requests in writing to: Office of City Clerk, 1 Kennedy Plaza, Utica, NY 13502. Email or call (315) 792-0115 for guidance on current submission options. The standard acknowledgment letter states: "New York State Public Officers Law Article 6, Sections 84-90 govern this agency's duty to respond within five (5) business days from receipt. Please consider this as our acknowledgement of your freedom of information request." The office provides estimated completion dates and updates as requests progress.
Fees are assessed before records are released. Payment is by check made payable to Utica City Hall, City Clerk, 1 Kennedy Plaza, Utica, NY 13502. A sample fee of $5.25 was charged for one prior request, giving a sense of scale for routine requests. Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page. Electronic delivery is available by email when practical. The office honors requests for electronic delivery when records exist in digital format.
If your request is denied, you have 30 days to appeal. For statewide FOIL guidance, visit opengovernment.ny.gov. The Oneida County Sheriff's Office charges $0.25 per page for FOIL copy requests and provides one free copy of "your" police report to involved parties. Accident and crime scene photos from the Forensic Identification Section are available at $20.00 per sheet through the Sheriff's FOIL process. Faxed requests are preferred at the Sheriff's Office, though phone and walk-in requests are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Traffic summonses at the Oneida County Sheriff are stored for only two years. If you need a record from a traffic stop, request it promptly before it is purged from the system.
Types of Police Blotter Records in Utica
The Utica Police Department and Oneida County Sheriff's Office together hold a wide range of records for incidents in and around Utica. Here is what is typically available.
Incident reports cover all calls for service across the city. Parties directly involved can typically get reports at the department. Third parties go through the City Clerk FOIL process. Reports tied to open investigations may be withheld.
Accident reports are available through the department and the Oneida County Sheriff. Involved parties get a free copy. Non-involved parties request through FOIL at $0.25 per page. Reports take 7 to 10 days to process before they become available at the Sheriff's Office.
Arrest records are public after charges are filed. They include the charge, booking date, and defendant information. The Utica Police Department and Oneida County Sheriff both maintain arrest databases.
Personnel records for Utica police officers are published online at cityofutica.com. This includes records for command staff and individual officers. Records are updated regularly as part of the city's transparency initiative.
Use of force and complaint data have been requested through FOIL by organizations like MuckRock, and the City Clerk has processed and fulfilled these requests. Use of force statistics and settlement data are among the records that have been provided in response to FOIL requests.
Annual reports are published by the Utica PD including data on department activities and statistics. The 2021 Annual Report is publicly available and covers department activities for that year.
Additional Resources
The Oneida County Sheriff's Office at 6065 Judd Road, Oriskany, NY 13424, (315) 765-2233, maintains records going back to 1988. Most records including motor vehicle accidents, complaints, and domestic incident reports are stored for 20 years or longer. Traffic summonses are stored for only two years.
The New York State Police may hold records for incidents on state highways through Utica. Submit State Police FOIL requests through GovQA at troopers.ny.gov/foil-requests or by mail to: NY State Police, Attn: Central Record Bureau, 1220 Washington Avenue, Bldg. 22, Albany, NY 12226-2252. The fee is $15.00 per incident report. For statewide court records, visit nycourts.gov. For FOIL guidance, visit opengovernment.ny.gov.
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