ARLINGTON -- Someone break into your car? Vandalize your property? Now you can get a copy of your police report online if the crime was reported in Arlington.
What’s new: The Arlington Police Department launched the “Public Reports” link on its Web site last month to make it easier for people who need a copy of their incident reports for insurance or other purposes. Before, people had to come in person to the police department between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Now, with a report number and the last name of a person involved in the incident, those reports can be retrieved online any time, without waiting in long lines or missing work.
“Sometimes people come rushing in at lunch hour and it’s packed so they leave without getting a report. The line can sometimes go out the door,” said Margarita Ibarra, police records assistant. “It’s easy for them now to get it off the Web and print it out wherever they are.”
What they cost: They’re free! That compares to the 10 cents-a-page the police charge if you request a report in person.
What the reports contain: Typically, contact information for witnesses, suspects and victims and a brief description of the incident. Some incidents, such as sexual offenses or juvenile crimes, will not be available online because the information is protected under the state’s open records law, police spokesman Lt. Blake Miller said.
What else is available on the web: Besides police reports, residents can also look up information such as crime statistics, working police calls, sex offender registry, a jail inmate list and the locations of the latest traffic collisions on the police department’s Web site.
Hit parade: The site received more than 1 million hits last month, Miller said.
“It’s another opportunity for our department to provide greater access to the community when it’s convenient for them,” Miller said. “This saves you a trip to the police department. You don’t have to take time off work.”
What about traffic accident reports: Traffic accident reports are expected to be available online within the next month, Miller said. Those reports, which cost $4 at the police station, will also cost to view online but a price has not been determined.
The Arlington Police have launched a new link on their Web site, www.arlingtonpd.org, for people to look up and print their police reports.
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