New Orleans Police Blotter

The New Orleans police blotter covers incident reports, arrest logs, and public safety records kept by the New Orleans Police Department. NOPD serves one of the largest cities in Louisiana, and its Records Division handles requests from residents, attorneys, insurance companies, and the press every day.

New Orleans Police Department

The New Orleans Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the city. The main administrative office is at 715 South Broad Street, 1st Floor, New Orleans, LA 70119. The Records Division, where most public record requests are processed, is at 1615 Poydras Street, 5th Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112. You can reach Records Division staff by phone at 504-658-5455, Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 3 PM. The fax number is 504-658-7665. For non-emergency calls, dial 504-821-2222 or 3-1-1 from within the city.

The NOPD website at nola.gov/nopd lists current department news, division contacts, and links to the city's online records portal.

The NOPD website is the best starting point. It links to the NextRequest portal and gives direct contacts for each division within the department.

Under La. R.S. § 44:31, any adult has the right to inspect or copy public records held by a government body. NOPD incident logs, arrest records, and most other documents fall under that right. Once you submit a request, La. R.S. § 44:32 gives the agency three business days to respond. They must produce the record, send a written denial with a legal reason, or notify you of a longer timeline if the record is not ready. Records tied to open investigations may be withheld under La. R.S. § 44:3 until the case is closed.

Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office

The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office operates separately from NOPD. OPSO handles jail operations, civil process, and law enforcement tied to the parish courts and correctional facilities. The main OPSO address is 2800 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70119. You can reach them by phone at 504-202-9339. Their website is opso.gov.

While NOPD handles street patrol and city incident reports, OPSO maintains records related to the parish jail, court commitments, and civil enforcement actions. If you are looking for jail booking records or want to know if someone is in parish custody, OPSO is the right agency. For incident reports and police blotter entries from city patrol, contact NOPD Records. The two agencies serve different functions and keep separate records systems, so it helps to know which one has what you need before you submit a request.

For more on how parish-level records work in New Orleans, see the Orleans Parish page.

Police Blotter Records in New Orleans

New Orleans police blotter records cover a wide range of documents. Incident reports describe specific calls for service and crimes reported to NOPD officers. Arrest logs show individuals taken into custody by city police. Traffic crash reports are filed when NOPD responds to vehicle accidents on city streets. Body camera footage and dash camera recordings may also be available, though video requests carry additional fees and go through a separate review process before release.

Accident reports start at $15. Other report types are priced differently, and video records cost more than standard documents. If you are unsure what kind of record you need, describe the incident to the Records Division and they can point you to the right document. For traffic crash reports, the Orleans Parish Communication District offers another access route. OPCD handles certain crash records through their own request page at opcdla.gov/services/request-a-report, which may be a faster option depending on the type of crash.

Note: Records involving juveniles or active criminal investigations are withheld under Louisiana law and will not be released until restrictions are lifted.

The Orleans Parish Communication District report request page processes some traffic and crash records separately from the NOPD Records Division.

How to Request New Orleans Police Records

The preferred method is the online portal at nola.nextrequest.com. Click "Make Request" to start. Describe what you need: include dates, locations, case numbers if you have them, and any names of people involved. The portal lets you track your request status and receive documents electronically once they are ready. This is the fastest route for most people.

After you submit through NextRequest, you get a confirmation with a request number. Use that number to follow up if you do not hear back within three business days, which is the response deadline under La. R.S. § 44:32. The portal keeps a record of all communications between you and the department, which is useful if there is a dispute about the response timeline or the content of the records provided.

If you prefer not to use the online portal, you can visit the Records Division in person at 1615 Poydras Street, 5th Floor. In-person hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 3 PM. Mail requests go to the same address. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment for any fees. For crash reports, also check OPCD since they handle some of those records through a different process.

The NextRequest portal at nola.nextrequest.com is the fastest way to submit and track a public records request with NOPD.

Payment for records is typically by check or money order payable to the City of New Orleans. Confirm accepted payment methods with the Records Division before mailing anything. If a request is denied, NOPD must provide a written denial stating the specific legal reason. Common grounds include an active investigation under La. R.S. § 44:3 or records that identify juvenile subjects, which are exempt from disclosure under state law.

Nearby Cities

These cities are close to New Orleans and have their own police blotter pages.