Records Office

Records Clerk

Phone: (401) 683-0301

Fax: (401) 683-2020

The Records Office is open Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The Records Office is closed on weekends and holidays.

The Records Division is responsible for the safe storage and maintenance of all police reports within the department.  The Records Division is also responsible for the public’s access to public records (A.P.R.A.) to ensure that requests are fulfilled in an expeditious manner. 

Police Reports

You may obtain copies of police reports such as accident reports, incident reports and arrest reports through the Records Office. 

Accident Reports

To save yourself time in obtaining accident reports, you may wish to call the Records Office to ask if the accident report has been approved yet or to get the accident report number. 

Copies of accident reports can be purchased online ($10 per report) or at the Records Office ($0.15 per page), which is located inside the main lobby of the Portsmouth Police Department.

Incident and Arrest Reports

Copies of these types of reports may be available according to the guidelines set forth by the R.I. Department of the Attorney General under the Access to Public Records Act (APRA).

The Portsmouth Police Department has instituted the following procedure to help you obtain public records: 

• The Public Records Unit is the Records Office. The Detective Lieutenant is designated as the Public Information Officer.
• In order to ensure you are provided with the public records you seek in an expeditious manner, you may complete the Online Records Request form. Forms may also be obtained in the main lobby of the Portsmouth Police Department.
• If you come in after regular business hours, you may complete the Request for Records Form and it will be given to the Records Office Clerk on the next working day.
• The Department may ask you the reason for your request, as its regular course of business. However, you are not required to provide identification or reasons why you seek the information. 
• Please be advised that the Access to Public Records Act gives a public body ten (10) business days to respond, which can be extended an additional twenty (20) days for “good cause.” We appreciate your understanding and patience.
• If you feel that you have been denied access to public records, you have the right to appeal to Brian P. Peters, Chief of Police. If you are still not satisfied, you may file a complaint with the Department of the Attorney General, 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903 or file suit in Superior Court. Information on the Access to Public Record can be found at www.riag.ri.gov/civildivision/opengovernment.php.
• The Portsmouth Police Department is committed to providing you with public records in an expeditious and courteous manner.