Miami-Dade County Police Records

Miami-Dade County police records are available from Miami-Dade Police Department and numerous city police agencies across South Florida's largest county. With over 2.7 million residents, this metropolitan area includes Miami, Hialeah, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, and dozens of other municipalities. Miami-Dade Police Department serves unincorporated areas while cities like Miami PD, Miami Beach PD, and Hialeah PD maintain their own records. You can request incident reports, arrest records, and crash reports from these agencies. Florida public records law allows any person to access most police records unless specific exemptions apply. Contact the appropriate agency based on where your incident occurred.

Miami-Dade Police Department

The Miami-Dade Police Department is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the Southeast United States. They serve unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County and provide police services to several municipalities under contract. MDPD handles patrol, investigations, and special operations across a wide jurisdiction. All police records created by MDPD are public under Florida law once cases close.

MDPD records include incident reports, arrest records, crash reports, and case files. These documents contain names, dates, locations, charges, and investigation narratives. Most records become available when a case closes. Active investigations may have restricted access under statutory exemptions.

To request police records from Miami-Dade Police, contact their records division. Provide details like names, dates, case numbers, and locations if available. MDPD follows Florida Chapter 119 requirements. Staff can help locate documents and provide cost estimates for copies. The agency handles a high volume of requests due to the county's large population.

City Police Departments

Miami-Dade County has over 30 municipal police departments. Each maintains separate records for incidents within their jurisdiction. Major agencies include Miami Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Hialeah Police Department, Coral Gables Police Department, and Homestead Police Department. Smaller cities also have their own police forces.

City limits determine which agency has jurisdiction. If your incident was in the City of Miami, contact Miami PD. If it was in Miami Beach, contact Miami Beach PD. For unincorporated areas, contact Miami-Dade Police. Jurisdiction can be complex in this urban county. Call the agency where the incident occurred to verify they have the records.

Each city police department has its own public records process and fees. Contact them directly for their specific procedures. All must follow Florida Chapter 119 public records law. Response times and fees vary by agency.

How to Get Police Records

Public records requests in Miami-Dade County must follow Florida law. Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes gives every person the right to inspect government records. You do not need to be a resident or explain why you want records.

To request police records, gather this information:

• Name of person involved in the incident
• Date or approximate date when it happened
• Location where it occurred (city, street, area)
• Type of incident (arrest, theft, crash, etc.)
• Case number or report number if available
• Which agency responded (MDPD, Miami PD, etc.)

Call the appropriate agency first. Due to high call volumes in Miami-Dade County, you may need to leave a message or submit a written request. Staff can tell you if records exist and what the cost will be. Some requests are filled within a few days. Large or complex requests may take longer and incur fees for staff time and copies under Florida law.

Note: Active criminal investigations can be withheld under Florida statute exemptions until the case closes or the investigation ends. Gang intelligence and undercover operations may also be exempt.

Arrest and Booking Records

Miami-Dade Corrections operates multiple county jails. All arrests in the county result in booking at one of these facilities. Booking records are public immediately under Florida law. They include name, photo, charges, bond, and booking date. The jail system is one of the largest in Florida.

You can request booking information from Miami-Dade Corrections. This is different from the full arrest report. Arrest reports include the officer's investigation narrative and witness statements. Get the arrest report from the agency that made the arrest. If Miami PD arrested someone, request the report from Miami PD. If MDPD made the arrest, request from MDPD.

Mugshots and booking details are public records in Florida. Agencies cannot refuse to release these. Some charge copy fees for photos or printed documents. Due to the volume of arrests in Miami-Dade County, expect processing times for records requests.

Traffic Crash Reports

Traffic crashes in Miami-Dade County are investigated by various agencies. MDPD, city police departments, and Florida Highway Patrol all handle crashes depending on location. Any crash with injury, death, or property damage over $500 requires a report. The investigating officer files the report with the state.

Order crash reports online through Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles at www.flhsmv.gov/traffic-crash-reports/. Search by date and county. The site charges a fee per report. Most reports are available within a few days of the crash.

For crashes on major highways like I-95, I-75, or Florida's Turnpike, Florida Highway Patrol likely investigated. For city streets, check with the local police department. For county roads, MDPD handles crashes. All reports end up in the state database regardless of which agency filed them. Miami-Dade has a high volume of crash reports due to heavy traffic.

Florida State Police Records

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains statewide criminal records. FDLE collects arrest and disposition data from all Miami-Dade County agencies and other Florida jurisdictions. Background checks search this central database. Submit public records requests to FDLE at fdle.justfoia.com/publicportal.

Create a free account and describe what you need. FDLE responds within a few business days. This portal is for FDLE documents, not local Miami-Dade County police records. For criminal background checks, call FDLE at (850) 410-8161. The fee is $24 per check.

Florida Public Records Law

Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes governs public access to government documents. Police records fall under this law unless exempted. Miami-Dade County law enforcement agencies must allow inspection and copying of public records. You can request records in any format. Agencies can charge fees for duplication and extensive search time.

If costs will exceed $200, they must give you a written estimate first. Some records are exempt from public disclosure. Active criminal investigations can be withheld. Confidential informant identities are protected. Personal information like social security numbers gets redacted. Juvenile records have additional privacy protections.

Criminal History Records

Statewide criminal history records come from FDLE. They compile arrest and court data from Miami-Dade County and all other jurisdictions. Background checks pull from this central system. Contact FDLE Criminal History Records at (850) 410-8161. The fee is $24 for a Florida background check.

Include fingerprints with your mail request. Electronic fingerprinting is available at many locations across Miami-Dade County. The FDLE office is in Tallahassee at 2331 Phillips Road. Walk-in service is available Monday through Friday during business hours.

FDLE Public Records

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement serves as the state's central law enforcement agency. They assist local police, maintain databases, and process background checks. The public records unit handles requests for FDLE documents. Contact FDLE Public Records at (850) 410-7676. Email publicrecords@fdle.state.fl.us.

FDLE provides resources for Miami-Dade County residents including crime statistics and missing persons alerts. Visit www.fdle.state.fl.us for statewide law enforcement information.

Florida Highway Patrol

The Florida Highway Patrol patrols major expressways in Miami-Dade County. They investigate serious crashes on I-95, I-75, SR-826, and Florida's Turnpike. FHP provides traffic enforcement. Their reports are public records. For FHP records, visit the FHP contact page or call *FHP (*347) from a cell phone.

This reaches the nearest FHP dispatch. Use this for highway crash information in Miami-Dade County. Crash reports from FHP are available through the FLHSMV online ordering system.

Cities in Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade County has over 30 municipalities with their own police departments. Major cities include Miami, Hialeah, Miami Beach, Miami Gardens, and Homestead. Each city police department handles records for incidents within their jurisdiction. Miami-Dade Police Department serves unincorporated areas.

Other cities include Coral Gables, Cutler Bay, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Aventura, and Sunny Isles Beach. Contact the specific police department for each city.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Miami-Dade County. Each has its own law enforcement agencies and records systems.