For researchers, one of the most important sources of information is those that come from the government. With that said, access to these types of documents is made open to the public. North Carolina police records are considered as public property as stated in its Statute Law. Public records, as defined in the Statute, are any documents such as books, records, photos, emails and any other media format that the agencies of the government comes in contact with, during the course of their correspondence with the public. These files or records are free by nature and if there are fees included or charges, these are made to cover the expense of copying the said files.
Although the public has the right to access the records, there are some exemptions to the Statute. Examples of these exemptions include – (a) criminal investigations records (Statute 132 sec. 1.3); (b) Intelligence information record (Statute 132 sec. 1.4); (c) Information included in a 911 response (Statute 132 sec. 1.5); (d) Autopsy photos (Statute 132 sec. 1.8) and (e) Emergency Response (Statute 132 sec 1.6). The exceptions are just some of the exclusions in the Statute; other situations wherein the police department might refuse the release of the records are also indicated in the Statute.
The Record Division of the City\'s Police Department categorizes the reports based on the type of the records. The records are classified under (a) traffic or crash reports, (b) crime or felony and (c) non-emergency. The Record Division is open during working hours and one can readily go to the division and ask for the reports they want or need. The files are also accessible through online requests. Some cities, as mentioned, provide the services free although others do charge a certain amount.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department, for example, charges $3.50 for each online request of the records. The files are delivered in a PDF format. For free reports, researchers must come in person and visit the Division unit located at the East trade Street. This is not the case in Asheville, as they do not charge for the request, but they do require the person requesting the information to send in a self-addressed stamp envelope.
Requesting for the record is made through several means though almost all of the requests are taken care of by the Records Division of the City\'s Police Department. One can fax in their request, make a phone call, email or walk in personally during working hours. Requests made through online or fax should be specific, as the law does not specify how long it would take to grant the request; being specific and direct makes it easier for the agency to provide the needed records. Walk-ins can check the resources that they requested and ask for a copy of the documents in the format that they prefer.
There might be cases when the request for police reports would be denied. You might want to call in or walk in to the Records Division and ask for the reason for this decision. In most scenarios, this would mean that the case is included in the exemption rule though there might be some parts of the case that are available to the public. Requesting online is the easiest way to retrieve information especially when it comes to non-emergency type of documents.
