how to get police reports

[mountaineer1673]

can anyone tell me how i can get recent local police reports? would i visit my township building?

i was told some bad shit happened in my neighborhood and want to confirm... dont know if it was PSP or local police that handled it.

thanks

[gghbi]

Check and see if your township or your local police have a web site. many post a police blotter of recent incidents. Usually boring unless you are the one stopped for your particular inrfraction, or you call in suspicious folks on a regular basis. Not sure if PSP does this.


edit: Also check local rags ie: http://www.southernchestercountyweek...NEWS/150729987

[Big Kahuna 19547]

Most department do not release criminal reports and they are exempted from Right to Know. The blotter is your best chance, unless you know a cop on the department...

[DukeConnor]

You can look up your neighbors, friend, enemies here https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/docketsheets/cp.aspx

[Emptymag]

I would be surprised if they would give out info that didn't involve you directly.
I know when I wanted a police report for something that happened to me, I could get a copy, but I was told I had to pay for it. (something dumb like a dollar or something)

[mountaineer1673]

thanks for the info- we have a friend of the family that is PD... hoping he will be able to help.

appreciate the feedback

[Berncly]

You can find a lot of public information using The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal.
https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/docketsheets/cp.aspx
Under the Docket Sheets tab, you need to check all 4 courts individually.
Magisterial, Philadelphia, Common Pleas, and Appellate.
In the Search Type box you can pick whatever criteria works for you such as a name or date, and you don't need a Docket Number.
You can leave most of the search criteria entry boxes blank.
Each court's search criteria can be a little different, for example some need a county and some don't.
Once you get comfortable with it, the system is a great resource for finding court records and doing background checks on the cheap.

The police blotters are good also, but the information in the blotter is often general and nonspecific.

You can call your township police department and ask them what their policy is for releasing records.
My local department will only release certain records to people that show ID that is related to the record.
My local department charges $30 for a copy of the record.

[frankski]

Here in my hood, you can go to the Township website and see police reports. You would get the impression nothing happens other than DUIs, potsmoking, and the occasional shoplifting at the local Kohls.

It seems more serious crimes don't get reported. I learned this when a neighbor was followed home from the Trenton train station one night and held up at gunpoint in his garage. Again, I only became aware of a local burglary because a detective asked questions of me and my neighbors.

None of this was reported in the Twp. police blotter.

[mountaineer1673]

Here in my hood, you can go to the Township website and see police reports. You would get the impression nothing happens other than DUIs, potsmoking, and the occasional shoplifting at the local Kohls.

It seems more serious crimes don't get reported. I learned this when a neighbor was followed home from the Trenton train station one night and held up at gunpoint in his garage. Again, I only became aware of a local burglary because a detective asked questions of me and my neighbors.

None of this was reported in the Twp. police blotter.

this is exactly what i am thinking happens here too.

[DK23]

Am I the only one curious as to what "bad shit" happened?