# Access to police incidnet reports **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/access-to-police-incidnet-reports/189832 "2003-07-21T02:05:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/access-to-police-incidnet-reports/189832/1 "2003-07-21T02:05:10Z")
This morning on the news I heard a story about a woman shooting her friend while driving home from a club. She apparently shot the woman during an argument in the car. Well, the newsreporter said that the newspeople got the story from an “incident report” on the internet. So, I go and look on the Memphis Police Department web page and can’t find the incident reports. They do have a contact so I send an e-mail and ask for the web address - they reply “what incident reports” - I reply the ones the news guy is talking about. They reply that they don’t think it is for the general public - I reply that I should be able to get it if the news guy can. Am I right? Does press have any special access? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/access-to-police-incidnet-reports/189832/2 "2003-07-21T02:22:13Z")
Here’s one site that offers such information: [http://www.thesmokinggun.com](http://www.thesmokinggun.com) ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/access-to-police-incidnet-reports/189832/3 "2003-07-21T02:29:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xash \* > \*\*Here’s one site that offers such information: > > [http://www.thesmokinggun.com](http://www.thesmokinggun.com) \*\* Question is about access to public/press ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/access-to-police-incidnet-reports/189832/4 "2003-07-21T02:40:06Z")
In just about every jurisdiction, certain information is public record and available for the asking. There may be a special site for local reporters, or there may be a “hidden” page, but any ordinary schmoe can usually have the information. One question, though. Are you sure it was Memphis PD and not Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, some other suburban department, or even West Memphis? Robin ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/access-to-police-incidnet-reports/189832/5 "2003-07-21T02:48:33Z")
Often it’s not available on the web. In my area, there is a charge for the reports so you must go to the responding police department in person. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/access-to-police-incidnet-reports/189832/6 "2003-07-21T02:52:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MsRobyn \* > \*\*In just about every jurisdiction, certain information is public record and available for the asking. There may be a special site for local reporters, or there may be a “hidden” page, but any ordinary schmoe can usually have the information. > > One question, though. Are you sure it was Memphis PD and not Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, some other suburban department, or even West Memphis? > > Robin \*\* Yeah it was MPD, in fact it came from the West Precinct ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/access-to-police-incidnet-reports/189832/7 "2003-07-21T02:56:45Z")
Depending on the area, newspaper reporters sometimes are priviledged to information that the general public isn’t. One such time is when the offense invloves a minor. This isn’t to say they aren’t also blocked from access. Sometimes they are. Also, the general public isn’t going to get police reports if the investigation is still pending. That’s a major point.