Hialeah Police Blotter Records

Hialeah police blotter records document law enforcement activity in Miami-Dade County's second-largest city. Hialeah Police Department maintains incident reports, arrest logs, and crash records for the city while Miami-Dade Police handles county areas. The police blotter includes arrests made by Hialeah officers, traffic crashes investigated within city boundaries, criminal case files, and responses to calls across Hialeah neighborhoods. Request police blotter records from the department at 5555 E. 25th Avenue or call 305-687-2525 during business hours. Under Florida's Chapter 119 statutes, most police records are public and available to anyone who submits a request to the custodian.

Hialeah Police Department Records

Hialeah Police Department serves a population over 235,000 within city limits. The department operates from headquarters at 5555 E. 25th Avenue and handles patrol, investigations, and traffic enforcement for Hialeah. HPD maintains all incident reports and police blotter records for incidents in their jurisdiction. The records division processes requests from residents, attorneys, insurance companies, and researchers.

The city website provides information on crash reports at hialeahfl.gov/359/Traffic-Crash-Reports. This page explains how to obtain copies of traffic crash reports investigated by Hialeah PD. You can learn about the process before submitting requests.

Call 305-687-2525 to reach HPD's main phone line. Staff can direct you to the records division or appropriate unit. Phone calls help clarify what documents are available and what information you should provide. Some requests require in-person visits while others can be handled by phone or mail.

How to Request Hialeah Police Records

Contact Hialeah PD at 305-687-2525 to start the records request process. Explain what type of record you need and provide details like dates, locations, names of people involved, and case numbers if available. Records staff will guide you through the submission process and estimate costs. The more specific your request, the faster staff can locate documents.

In-person visits to HPD headquarters allow you to speak with records staff directly. Bring any information that helps identify the incident or arrest. Staff search their database and provide publicly available documents. Simple requests may be filled the same day while complex requests requiring review take longer to process.

For traffic crash reports, Hialeah provides information at hialeahfl.gov/359/Traffic-Crash-Reports on how to obtain copies. You can also use the Florida Crash Portal at services.flhsmv.gov/CrashReportPurchasing after the 60-day confidentiality period. The state system charges $10 per report plus $2 online fee for convenient access.

Within the first 60 days after a crash, only authorized parties can access reports under Florida Statute 316.066. This includes drivers involved, their legal representatives, and insurance companies. You must complete a sworn affidavit on form HSMV-94010 to prove authorization. Unauthorized disclosure during this period is a third-degree felony.

Types of Police Records in Hialeah

Incident reports document police responses to calls throughout Hialeah. Officers write reports after handling crimes, accidents, disturbances, and other events. Each report includes date, time, and location information. It lists people involved, witnesses, and victims. Officer narratives describe what occurred and what actions were taken. Incident reports are public unless specific exemptions apply under Florida law.

Arrest records show when HPD arrests someone. Booking information includes the arrestee's name, mugshot, charges filed, bond amount, and booking date and time. Miami-Dade County jail maintains booking records and posts recent arrests online. You can search jail rosters by name or booking date to find arrest information.

Case files may contain multiple documents beyond initial incident reports. Supplemental reports add details as investigations develop. Detective notes track progress. Witness statements provide testimony. Evidence logs list collected items. Active case files remain confidential. Closed cases become public with redactions for protected information.

Traffic crash reports are confidential for 60 days after filing under Florida Statute 316.066. After the confidentiality period expires, anyone can purchase crash reports through the state portal or request them from the investigating agency. Long-form reports include detailed crash diagrams and contributing factors.

Miami-Dade County Police Records

Hialeah is located in Miami-Dade County, which operates its own police department for unincorporated areas. Miami-Dade Police handles law enforcement outside city police jurisdictions. If an incident occurred outside Hialeah city limits, contact Miami-Dade Police instead of HPD for records.

The county police maintains separate records from city agencies. For comprehensive information on police blotter records throughout Miami-Dade County, visit the Miami-Dade County Police Blotter page. Understanding which agency responded helps you request records from the correct department.

Fees and Processing Times

Hialeah follows Florida's standard fee schedule for public records. Paper copies cost $0.15 per single-sided page or $0.20 per double-sided page. Certified copies add $1 per page. Electronic records on CD or DVD typically cost $1 per disc. These basic fees apply to most record requests.

Service charges apply when requests require extensive staff time exceeding 15 minutes. Agencies calculate labor charges based on employee hourly rates including benefits. Large requests involving searches through multiple files generate higher service charges. You receive cost estimates before work begins on time-consuming requests.

Payment methods typically include cash, money order, business check, or credit card with a processing fee. Personal checks may not be accepted. Call ahead to confirm accepted payment types before visiting to pick up records.

Processing times vary by request complexity. Simple incident reports may be available within days. Requests requiring legal review or extensive redaction take longer. Complex requests can take several weeks during busy periods when departments handle many pending requests.

Florida Public Records Law

Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes governs all public records including police blotter documents. The law establishes that every person has the right to inspect and copy public records. Agencies must provide access during regular business hours. They can charge reasonable fees but cannot deny access based on inability to pay.

Exemptions from disclosure appear in Florida Statutes Section 119.071. Active criminal investigations remain confidential until cases close. Victim identities in sexual offense cases are protected. Personal information about law enforcement officers is exempt. Hialeah PD must redact exempt information and release non-exempt portions.

You do not need to identify yourself or explain why you want public records. Florida law protects anonymous access to government information. Agencies cannot require you to state how you will use records. This ensures broad public oversight of police operations.

If Hialeah PD denies a records request improperly, contact the Florida Attorney General's mediation program at 850-245-0140. The AG provides voluntary mediation to resolve disputes. Visit myfloridalegal.com/open-government for additional guidance on public records rights.

Additional Resources

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement at fdle.state.fl.us maintains statewide criminal records. FDLE serves as Florida's central repository for arrest histories and criminal charges. For crash data and statistics, visit Florida Highway Safety at flhsmv.gov/traffic-crash-reports. The Government in the Sunshine Manual at myfloridalegal.com/open-government/sunshine-manual explains public records law comprehensively.

Note: Contact information provided to Hialeah PD becomes a public record under Florida law.