St. Petersburg Police Blotter

St. Petersburg police blotter records document law enforcement activity in Pinellas County's largest city. The St. Petersburg Police Department maintains incident reports, arrest records, and crash documentation for the city while Pinellas County Sheriff's Office serves county areas. Police blotter records include arrests made by St. Pete officers, traffic crashes investigated within city limits, case files from criminal investigations, and responses to calls across neighborhoods from downtown to the beaches. Request police blotter records from the department at 1300 1st Avenue North or call 727-893-7780 during business hours. Under Florida's public records law in Chapter 119, most police documents are available to anyone who submits a request.

St. Petersburg Police Department Records

St. Petersburg Police Department serves a population over 267,000 within city boundaries. The department operates from headquarters at 1300 1st Avenue North and handles patrol, investigations, and traffic enforcement for St. Pete. SPPD maintains all incident reports and police blotter records for incidents in their jurisdiction. The records division processes public information requests from residents, attorneys, insurance companies, and researchers.

The department website at stpete.org/police provides information on services, divisions, and community programs. You can find contact details for specialized units, crime prevention tips, and public safety announcements. The site explains department operations and helps you understand which division handles specific types of requests before you contact them.

Call 727-893-7780 to reach SPPD's main phone line. Staff can direct your call to the records division or the appropriate unit for your request type. Phone calls help clarify what documents you need and what information you should provide. Some requests can be processed by phone while others require written submissions or in-person visits.

Requesting Police Blotter Records

Start by calling St. Petersburg PD at 727-893-7780. Ask to speak with someone in the records division who handles public information requests. Describe what type of record you need and provide details like dates, locations, names of involved parties, and any case or incident numbers. The more specific information you provide, the easier it is for staff to locate the right documents in their system.

In-person visits to SPPD headquarters allow you to speak directly with records staff. Bring any information that helps identify the incident or arrest you're researching. Staff will search their records management system and provide documents that are publicly available under Florida law. Simple requests may be filled the same day. Complex requests requiring review or redaction take longer to process.

Written requests can be mailed to St. Petersburg Police Department at 1300 1st Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33705. Include a detailed description of the records you want with dates, locations, and names. Provide your contact information and preferred delivery method. Some agencies require prepayment for large requests, so ask about payment procedures when submitting your request.

For crash reports, use the Florida Crash Portal at services.flhsmv.gov/CrashReportPurchasing after the 60-day confidentiality period ends. The state system charges $10 per report plus $2 online fee and provides faster service than requesting directly from police departments. You need the crash date, location, and at least one driver name to search the database successfully.

Types of Police Records in St. Petersburg

Incident reports document police responses to calls across St. Petersburg. 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.

Arrest records show when SPPD takes someone into custody. Booking information includes the person's name, mugshot, charges filed, bond amount set by judges, and booking date and time. Pinellas County jail maintains booking records and posts recent arrests to online rosters. You can search by name or booking date to find arrest information shortly after someone is booked.

Case files contain multiple documents related to investigations. Initial incident reports get supplemented with additional reports as cases develop. Detective notes track investigative progress. Witness statements provide testimony. Evidence logs list collected items. Lab reports document forensic analysis. Active case files remain confidential. Closed cases become public with redactions for protected information like victim identities in certain crimes.

Traffic crash reports follow special confidentiality rules under Florida Statute 316.066. All crash reports remain confidential for 60 days after filing. Only involved parties, their attorneys, and insurance representatives can access them during this period. After 60 days, anyone can purchase crash reports through the state portal or request them from the investigating agency.

Pinellas County Police Records

St. Petersburg is located in Pinellas County, which operates its own sheriff's office for unincorporated areas and some contracted municipalities. Pinellas County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement outside city police department jurisdictions. If an incident occurred outside St. Petersburg city limits, contact the sheriff's office instead of SPPD for records.

The sheriff's office maintains separate records from city police departments. For comprehensive information on police blotter records throughout Pinellas County, visit the Pinellas County Police Blotter page. Understanding jurisdiction boundaries helps you request records from the correct agency and avoid delays.

Some incidents involve multiple agencies. Joint investigations, mutual aid responses, and task force operations generate records at different departments. In these cases, you may need to submit separate requests to each agency involved. Law enforcement agencies cannot provide records created by other departments.

Fees and Processing Times

St. Petersburg follows Florida's standard public records fee schedule. Paper copies cost $0.15 per single-sided page or $0.20 per double-sided page as set by state law. Certified copies add $1 per page for official verification. Electronic records on CD or DVD typically cost $1 per disc. These basic fees apply to most simple 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 or extensive redaction generate higher service charges. You receive a cost estimate before staff begins work on time-consuming requests.

Payment methods typically include cash, money order, business check, or credit card with a processing fee added. Personal checks are often not accepted due to fraud concerns. Call ahead to confirm accepted payment types before visiting to pick up records and avoid delays.

Processing times vary by request complexity and department workload. Simple incident reports may be available within a few business days. Requests requiring review by legal staff or extensive searches take longer. Complex requests can take several weeks during busy periods when many requests are pending.

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 for copying and labor but cannot deny access based on inability to pay.

Florida Statutes Section 119.071 lists exemptions from public disclosure. Active criminal investigations remain confidential until cases close or become inactive. Victim identities in sexual offense cases are protected. Personal information about law enforcement officers like home addresses is exempt. St. Petersburg PD must redact exempt information and release the non-exempt portions of requested records.

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

If SPPD denies a records request improperly, you can seek mediation through the Florida Attorney General's Office. The AG operates a voluntary mediation program at 850-245-0140 to resolve disputes. Additional guidance on public records rights appears at myfloridalegal.com/open-government on the Attorney General's website.

Additional Resources

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement at fdle.state.fl.us maintains statewide criminal records. FDLE serves as the central repository for arrest histories, criminal charges, and case dispositions in Florida. You can request background checks and access records on law enforcement officers through FDLE's public records custodian.

For traffic crash data and statistics, visit Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles at flhsmv.gov/traffic-crash-reports. The department publishes annual crash reports, safety analyses, and instructions for purchasing individual crash reports. Their crash dashboard shows trends by county and roadway type across Florida.

The Government in the Sunshine Manual at myfloridalegal.com/open-government/sunshine-manual explains Florida's public records law comprehensively. The manual covers exemptions, fee schedules, response time requirements, and enforcement options. It helps both requesters and agencies understand obligations under Chapter 119.

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