Lafayette Police Blotter
The Lafayette police blotter covers incident reports, arrest logs, and public safety records kept by the Lafayette Police Department. Lafayette is the largest city in Acadiana and one of Louisiana's major urban centers, served by both a city police department and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office.
City Quick Facts
Lafayette Police Department
The Lafayette Police Department serves the city of Lafayette through its main office at 900 E. University Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502. The main LPD phone number is 337-291-8298. The Lafayette Consolidated Government main line is 337-291-8300 for general city services. LPD's website is at lafayettela.gov/lpd. Public records requests can be submitted through the city's online portal or sent by mail to P.O. Box 4308, Lafayette, LA 70502. You can also email records requests to publicrecords@lafayettela.gov.
| Address | 900 E. University Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 |
|---|---|
| Mailing | P.O. Box 4308, Lafayette, LA 70502 |
| Phone | 337-291-8298 |
| publicrecords@lafayettela.gov | |
| Website | lafayettela.gov/lpd |
The Lafayette Police Department website provides contact details, news releases, and links to the records request process for city incidents.
Under La. R.S. § 44:31, any adult in Louisiana can inspect or copy public records held by a government agency. LPD incident reports, arrest logs, and related documents are subject to this right. La. R.S. § 44:32 requires the agency to respond within three business days of receiving a request. The response must be the record itself, a written denial with the legal basis, or a notice of a longer timeline. Records connected to active investigations may be withheld under La. R.S. § 44:3.
Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement for areas of Lafayette Parish outside city limits and also operates the parish jail. The LPSO main office is at 303 West Vermillion Street, Lafayette. They can be reached at 337-236-5845. Their website is lafayettesheriff.com. LPSO keeps its own records for incidents in unincorporated parish areas, separate from LPD.
If the incident you are researching happened outside the city of Lafayette proper, LPSO may have the records. The two agencies serve different geographic areas. City boundaries in Lafayette Parish are well-defined, but some incidents near the edges of city limits may involve one or the other depending on where exactly the event occurred. When in doubt, contact both agencies to find out which one responded. For parish-level records and more information about how records work across the broader parish, see the Lafayette Parish page.
Police Blotter Records in Lafayette
Lafayette police blotter records include incident reports, arrest logs, traffic crash reports, and other documents generated by LPD during the course of daily operations. These records are public under Louisiana law with certain exceptions. Records involving pending investigations, juvenile subjects, or victims of certain crimes may be withheld in whole or in part. When records are released, personal information such as Social Security numbers and home addresses of victims may be redacted.
Prepayment is required for many LPD records requests. The specific cost depends on the type and length of the record you need. Contact the records office or submit your request online to get a fee estimate before you send payment. Video records, such as body camera footage, may carry additional fees beyond the standard copy rate and go through a separate review process before release. For specific pricing, reach out to the LPD public records office directly by email at publicrecords@lafayettela.gov or by phone before submitting your request.
Note: Video record requests may take longer than standard document requests due to the review process required before release.
How to Request Lafayette Police Records
The easiest way to request LPD records is through the city's online public records portal at lafayettela.gov/legal/public-records-request. Fill out the form with the details of your request. Include the type of record, the dates involved, the location, and any case numbers or names of people involved. The more information you provide, the faster staff can find the right file.
The Lafayette city records request page is where you start most LPD public records requests. It handles submissions online and routes them to the right department.
You can also submit a request by mail to P.O. Box 4308, Lafayette, LA 70502, or by email to publicrecords@lafayettela.gov. In-person requests can be made at 900 E. University Avenue. If you are requesting video records like body camera footage, note that in your request and specify the date, location, and officer if you know it. Contact the Video Records coordinator Aundreal Langford at 337-291-8298 for questions about video-specific requests. Prepayment is often required, so ask for a cost estimate first before sending payment.
If your request is denied, the city must respond in writing with the specific legal reason. Common grounds include an ongoing investigation under La. R.S. § 44:3 or records involving juvenile subjects. If you believe the denial is wrong, you can seek review under Louisiana's public records law or consult an attorney familiar with open records issues in Louisiana.
Nearby Cities
No other qualifying Louisiana cities are in close proximity to Lafayette, but the surrounding parishes of Acadia, St. Landry, and Vermilion all have parish-level records pages you can browse through the Parishes section.