Minnesota Police Records

What are Minnesota Police Records?

In Minnesota, police departments are local law enforcement agencies and located in all major municipalities. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety however, oversees the Minnesota State Patrol. This patrol was created in 1929 with a force of nine troopers. Today it has grown to 600 troopers and nearly 300 civilian personnel. These troopers enforce traffic and motor vehicle laws.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was created in 1927 to help provide special law enforcement to solve crimes through investigations and forensic lab analyses.

Divisions of Minnesota Police

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension provides several public services: Amber Alert; Background Checks; Cold Cases; Crime Alert; Criminal History; Fingerprinting; Firearms Permits; Identity Theft; Meth Offender Registry; Missing/Unidentified Persons; Minnesota Crime Watch and Predatory Offender Registry Search.

Forensic services provided by the bureau include; Breath Testing Program; Courtroom Testimony; Crime Scene Processing; Evidence Submission; and Forensic Laboratories and Testing Services. Combined with the Specialized Investigative Services, the state enjoys and full-service law enforcement and investigative team to prevent and solve crime. There are two regional offices and 11 field offices which provide crime scene response services, analysis and long-term investigation services. Many of the local law enforcement offices cannot support such services at their level, so the Bureau of Public Safety services help to bridge this gap.

Requesting Minnesota Police Records

Public records, or those regarding criminal convictions for the past 15 years, are considered a matter of public record and anyone can access them in Minnesota. Otherwise, you will need signed consent from the person. Private records include juvenile records, older conviction information, and court and arrest information.

The state provides a Computerized Criminal History System which includes information regarding felony, gross misdemeanor, enhanced misdemeanor and some misdemeanor offenses. Minnesota Police Records can be requested in person at the Minnesota Justice Information Services, 1430 Maryland Ave. in St. Paul for $8, or searched online. A complete criminal history from the state is $15.

Minnesota Arrest Records by Type of Crime

The popular arrests for 2017 in Minnesota was for All Other Offenses (except traffic) - 32,165, the same popularity of the arrest type was seen in Alabama, Alaska, and Arizona. The least popularity had Embezzlement arrests - with only 24 crimes a year.

MN Police Departments by Cities