New York Police Records are kept by the state’s Department of Criminal Justice Services. The records are available to the public as what was indicated on the Freedom of Information Act in 1966. Compared to arrest records, police reports have more detailed information about a crime or incident.
Police records in New York are sealed but not deleted. This means that the information about the police records such as the fingerprints, photographs and papers are returned to the defendant once the court proceedings are finished. The Division of Criminal Justice Services keeps the sealed arrest record. The files are kept confidential and can only be accessed under special circumstances. The criminal Procedure law mandates to seal the record when a case is won by the defendant.
The state’s police records would reveal the name of the individual, permit of firearms if applicable, change of address, violence reports and any form of fraud. Even without an arrest, police reports still reveals the nature of the incident and the people involved with the incident. It would sometimes include the evidences which are gathered in the incident and any observations that are made by the officer when the incident took place.
Investigation of a crime is the most common reason for accessing the police reports. These records, in most of the times, would greatly contribute in the resolution of a case. Lawyers of a law firm checks the reports and uses it during their findings. The reports are also used by employers to check the record of the applicants to ensure they are hiring trustworthy employees.
Just like any other records in the state of New York, the police report can be obtained from the authorized government agencies. A reason for accessing this record is required along with the information of the requesting individual. Traditionally, one has to go to the office of the Department of Criminal Justice Services to get a copy of the police report. With the development of technology, the record can be obtained online.
The development of the internet has opened opportunities in the retrieval of the record. This method of retrieving the record has now become faster and easier as compared to the traditional way in obtaining the police report. Online retrieval of the record can be done in two ways: fee-based and free. Free websites provide an unorganized set of information which can be difficult to read and analyze. Lawsuits would prefer to use the services offered by fee based sites since the information it provides are clear and ready to use.
Paid or Free Public Police Records, they each serve their purpose. Learn all about them at Police Reports Online.