Manatee County Police Blotter

Manatee County police blotter records are handled by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Rick Wells at 600 US 301 Boulevard West in Bradenton. The sheriff's office serves unincorporated areas and several municipalities through law enforcement contracts. You can search police blotter information online through multiple databases including arrest search, crime mapping, warrant search, and inmate search. Records staff process public requests for incident reports, traffic crash reports, and booking records. Call (941) 747-3011 for general inquiries or records assistance. Bradenton operates its own police department at 100 10th Street West, so residents should contact the appropriate agency based on where incidents occurred in Manatee County.

Online Police Blotter Resources

Manatee County provides several online tools for searching police blotter information. The sheriff's office website at mymanatee.org/sheriff hosts searchable databases for arrests, warrants, inmates, and crime mapping. These systems give free public access to law enforcement records without submitting formal requests.

The arrest search database contains booking information for people taken into custody. Search by name, booking number, or date range. Results include booking photos, charges filed, bond amounts, arresting agency, and booking dates. The system shows both current inmates and people released after bond or sentence completion.

Crime mapping displays recent incidents on an interactive map of Manatee County. Filter by date range, incident type, or geographic area to see patterns of criminal activity. This tool pulls data from police reports filed throughout the county. Residents can monitor incidents near their homes or businesses.

Warrant search helps you check for active warrants in Manatee County. Inmate search shows who is currently held in county facilities with housing assignments and bond information. These databases update regularly as new information is entered into sheriff's office systems.

Manatee County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Rick Wells leads the Manatee County Sheriff's Office from headquarters at 600 US 301 Boulevard West in Bradenton. The agency provides law enforcement to unincorporated areas and some municipalities through service contracts. Call (941) 747-3011 for both emergency and non-emergency matters, general inquiries, or records requests.

Online records requests can be submitted through the sheriff's website. Include the incident date, location, names of people involved, and type of report needed. Specific requests are processed faster than broad searches. If you have a case number from prior law enforcement contact, include it to speed up the search.

In-person requests can be made at the main office during business hours. Bring photo identification and all relevant information about the incident. Records staff can help you complete request forms and estimate costs based on request size. Simple requests requiring minimal time and few pages are often provided free under Florida law.

Note: Bradenton city limits are served by the Bradenton Police Department, not the sheriff's office.

Bradenton Police Department

The Bradenton Police Department operates separately from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. If your incident occurred within Bradenton city limits, contact the police department at (941) 932-9300. Their office is located at 100 10th Street West in Bradenton. The police department maintains its own records system for incidents within city boundaries.

Knowing which agency to contact saves time when requesting police reports. Sheriff's deputies handle unincorporated areas of Manatee County and cities without their own police departments. Bradenton police officers respond to calls within city limits. Check the location of your incident to determine the correct agency.

What Police Blotter Records Include

Manatee County police blotter records include incident reports, arrest records, booking logs, and traffic crash reports. Incident reports detail law enforcement responses to calls for service. They contain the date and time, location, names of people involved, witness statements, and deputy observations. Some information may be redacted to protect victims or active investigations.

Arrest records show people booked into custody by sheriff's deputies or other law enforcement operating in the county. Records include the person's name, booking photo, charges, arresting agency, booking date and time, and bond amount. Booking logs update continuously as arrests occur and inmates are released.

Traffic crash reports filed by deputies contain driver information, vehicle details, crash scene diagrams, contributing factors, and complete officer narratives. Florida law protects crash reports involving personal injuries for 60 days. During this period, only parties involved, their attorneys, insurance companies, and government agencies can access them. After 60 days, reports become public and can be purchased through the state portal.

Public Records Fees

Manatee County follows Florida public records fee guidelines. The first 15 minutes of staff time and first 20 pages are typically provided at no charge. Requests exceeding these thresholds may be charged based on employee compensation rates and standard copy fees of $0.15 per single-sided page and $0.20 per double-sided page.

Payment is required before records are released. Accepted methods include cash, credit cards with a processing fee, money orders, and business checks. Personal checks may not be accepted. For electronic records, payment arrangements will be made before documents are emailed to you.

Victims of crimes often receive free copies of police reports. Bring identification showing you were involved in the incident. These reports are needed for insurance claims, victim compensation applications, and legal proceedings.

Florida Public Records Law

All police blotter records in Manatee County fall under Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes, which provides broad public access to government records. Every person can inspect and copy public records unless specific exemptions apply. Agencies must acknowledge requests promptly and respond in good faith.

Some records are exempt from disclosure. Active criminal investigations remain confidential while cases are open. Florida Statutes Section 119.071 protects victim identities in sexual offenses, home addresses of law enforcement officers, and other sensitive personal information. These exemptions balance transparency with privacy and safety.

Traffic crash reports follow special confidentiality rules in Florida Statute 316.066. Reports with personal injury information stay confidential for 60 days after filing. Unauthorized disclosure during this period is a third-degree felony. After the confidentiality period, anyone can purchase crash reports through the Florida Crash Portal at services.flhsmv.gov/CrashReportPurchasing for $10 per report plus a $2 service fee.

Statewide Police Record Systems

Florida operates centralized systems for some law enforcement records. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains criminal history records for all 67 counties. FDLE background checks show arrests and charges statewide, not just from Manatee County. These checks are used for employment screening, licensing, and other authorized purposes.

The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department runs the crash report purchasing system. After the 60-day confidentiality period ends, any crash report filed in Florida can be bought online at services.flhsmv.gov/CrashReportPurchasing. Search using the crash report number, driver's license number, or vehicle information.

The Florida Attorney General provides public records guidance at myfloridalegal.com/open-government. Their resources explain your rights under Chapter 119, common exemptions, and how to file complaints if agencies deny access improperly. The Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual offers detailed explanations of Florida's transparency laws.

Nearby Counties

Manatee County borders several other Florida counties, each with their own law enforcement agencies: