Wayne County Police Records Database

Wayne County police records are public documents held by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, the Detroit Police Department, and dozens of other local agencies across Michigan's largest and most populous county. These records include incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, jail data, and court records. You can request Wayne County police records by contacting the sheriff's FOIA Coordinator, submitting a request to Detroit PD, or using the county's online FOIA form. This page explains the full process for every agency in the county.

Wayne County Sheriff's Office Records

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is located at 4747 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201. The main phone number is (313) 224-2222. The fax number is (313) 833-0871. The sheriff's website is at sheriffconnect.com, which has FOIA information, inmate search, and department contacts. The Administration Office is at 5301 Russell Street, Detroit, MI 48211, reachable at (313) 833-0562 or (313) 833-0864.

FOIA requests for Wayne County Sheriff's Office records go to FOIA Coordinator Cynthia Golson. Her email is cgolson@waynecountymi.gov. The sheriff's FOIA page is at sheriffconnect.com/freedom-of-information-act-foia-requests. This page explains what records are available, how to submit a request, and what to include. The county website at waynecountymi.gov also has a FOIA request form at waynecounty.com/county/foia-request-form.aspx for county administration records outside the sheriff's department.

The Wayne County government portal at waynecountymi.gov connects you to the sheriff's office, FOIA forms, court records, and other county services for requesting police records in Michigan's largest county.

The Wayne County FOIA request form at waynecounty.com/county/foia-request-form.aspx is used for county administration records. For sheriff-specific records, use the FOIA page at sheriffconnect.com and contact Cynthia Golson directly.

The Wayne County Sheriff operates the county jail and maintains jail and inmate records. You can search for current inmates online through the inmate search tool at sheriffconnect.com/dashboard/inmate-search. This tool is free and lets you look up people currently in custody at the county jail. For people in state prison, use the Michigan OTIS system instead.

Detroit Police Department Records

The Detroit Police Department is one of the largest municipal police agencies in Michigan and maintains its own police records completely separate from the county sheriff. If the incident happened inside the city of Detroit, the DPD holds those records. The FOIA email for Detroit police records is DPDFOIA@detroitmi.gov. A general city FOIA email is FOIA@detroitmi.gov. The Law Department is at 2 Woodward Avenue, Suite 500, Detroit, MI 48226. The fax number for FOIA submissions is (313) 224-5505.

For full details on how to request Detroit police records, visit the Detroit police records page. That page covers the DPD FOIA process, fees, contacts, and what to include in your request. Dearborn and Livonia are two other major cities in Wayne County. Both have their own police departments. For Dearborn records, see the Dearborn police records page. For Livonia records, see the Livonia police records page. Westland also has its own department, and details are on the Westland police records page.

Wayne County Court Records

Court records in Wayne County are separate from police records held by the sheriff or local departments. The Criminal Division of the Wayne County Circuit Court is at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, 1441 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 48226. Copy fees at this court are $1.50 per page plus a $10 certification fee for certified copies. These rates are higher than standard FOIA copy rates because court records go through the clerk's office, which has separate fee authority.

You can search Wayne County court records at no cost online through the Michigan Courts Case Search. This covers district and circuit courts across Wayne County, including the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court. You can search by name, case number, or date range. This is often the fastest way to see if charges were filed after an arrest or incident, and to find out the outcome of a case.

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL § 15.231 et seq. governs public access to police and government records statewide. Under MCL § 15.235, agencies must respond within 5 business days. Extensions of up to 10 additional business days are allowed with written notice. Denials must cite a specific exemption under MCL § 15.243. You have 180 days to appeal a denial in writing.

Wayne County Police Record Fees

Wayne County Sheriff records follow the state FOIA fee structure under MCL § 15.234. Paper copies cost $0.10 per page. Labor is billed at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid qualified employee, in 15-minute increments. No labor charge applies if the search takes under 15 minutes. Fringe benefits can add up to 50% of the labor rate. Court records from the Criminal Division at Frank Murphy Hall of Justice are separate and cost $1.50 per page plus $10 for certification.

If the estimated total for a sheriff's records request exceeds $50, the county can ask for a 50% deposit before starting. Low-income requesters can claim a $20 fee waiver by submitting an affidavit of indigence, available up to twice per year. Always ask for a written cost estimate before making a large or complex request to either the sheriff's office or the Detroit Police Department.

State Resources for Wayne County Records

ICHAT, run by the Michigan State Police, covers felony and serious misdemeanor records from all 83 Michigan counties, including Wayne. The fee is $10 per search, paid by credit card. Access it at michigan.gov/msp/services/ichat. ICHAT does not cover traffic violations, juvenile records, or federal cases.

The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is free at mipsor.state.mi.us. You can search by name, address, or county. The Michigan OTIS system at mdocweb.state.mi.us/OTIS2/otis2.aspx covers people in state prison or on parole. For crash reports archived by the MSP, use the Michigan Traffic Crash Purchasing System. For third-party crash report access, LexisNexis BuyCrash and ReportBeam are commonly used by insurers and attorneys. For FOIA challenges or guidance, the Michigan Attorney General is at michigan.gov/ag/foia.

Major Cities in Wayne County

Wayne County has several large cities with their own police departments and separate records divisions.

Nearby Counties

Wayne County borders several southeast Michigan counties, each with its own sheriff and records office.