Washington Police Records

What are Washington Police Records?

The Washington State Patrol is the statewide law enforcement agency that enforces state laws on the highways and beyond. This patrol started in 1921, when troopers rode Indian motorcycles to patrol the roadways. There were initially six patrolmen and in 1924 they began wearing uniforms. It wasn't until nearly ten years later in 1933 that the original "Highway Patrol Division" became known as the Washington State Patrol.

Divisions of Washington Police

There are several different divisions and bureaus within the Washington State Patrol. The Field Operations Bureau spans eight districts and primarily enforce traffic laws and investigate crashes.

The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau promotes safe travel for large trucks and vehicles including school buses. This department also maintains the patrol's fleet of vehicles and protects the infrastructure of Washington State.

Washington's Fire Protection Bureau is headed by the State Fire Marshal, who helps to provide the public with fire safety education and tools. This department regulates fireworks licensing and offers an accredited certification program to officers. The Fire Protection Bureau also establishes guidelines for fire safety in public buildings and coordinates fire services in events of an emergency.

The Forensic Laboratory Services Bureau offers law enforcement state-of-the-art crime lab testing and analysis of evidence in criminal cases. This bureau offers a latent print lab, toxicology lab, drug evaluation program, breath alcohol test program and six crime labs.

The Investigative Services Bureau investigates cases of narcotics and clandestine labs, conducts death investigations, investigates computer forensic cases, maintains criminal records and gathers organized crime intelligence.

Requesting Washington Police Records

In the state of Washington, criminal and police records may be requested by the public on any person, but dispensed records are limited to only conviction information and arrests that are less than one year old. Other information included is pending dispositions and details for any convicted persons regarding sex crimes or kidnapping offenses.

Washington Arrest Records by Type of Crime

The popular arrests for 2017 in Washington was for All Other Offenses (except traffic) - 58,249, the same popularity of the arrest type was seen in Alabama, Alaska, and Arizona. The least popularity had Embezzlement arrests - with only 54 crimes a year.

WA Police Departments by Cities