Police Freedom of Information Act FAQ
FOIA is a Freedom of Information Acts Request.
All FOIA requests must be in writing and describe a public record sufficiently to enable the public body to find the public record. (MCL15.231 et seq.)
You may download a copy of the City of Detroit FOIA or City of Detroit Police FOIA form to submit a FOIA request.
Due to the volume of FOIA requests for police records, if you are seeking routine police records, please submit your written request to:
City of Detroit Police Department Law Unit
Coleman A. Young Municipal Building
2 Woodward Avenue, Suite 500
Detroit, Michigan 48226
Fax No.: 313-224-5505
Email Address: [email protected]
The following information is required to search for routine police records:
- nature of the incident;
- date of incident;
- time of incident (if known);
- address;
- names of individuals involved in the matter
Without this information, your request may be denied as the Police Department requires such information in order to conduct a search for the record.
Routine Police Records include:
- 911 Audio Recordings
- 911 CAD Reports
- Police Dash-Cam Videos
- Simple Arrest Reports
- Mug Shots
- Police Incident Reports concerning:
- Domestic dispute matters
- Simple assault and battery
- Theft
- Motor Vehicle Accident Reports.
- Police records concerning the following matters are not routine:
- Fatal accidents
- Critical injury
- Homicide
- Narcotics
- Gang related activities and incidents
- Criminal sexual conduct