St. Bernard Parish Police Blotter

The St. Bernard Parish police blotter covers incident reports, arrest logs, and public safety records maintained by the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office in Chalmette. Use the contact information and resources on this page to request records, check on a case, or find out how the public records process works in this southeast Louisiana parish.

St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office

Sheriff James Pohlmann leads the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office (SBSO), which is headquartered at 2 Courthouse Square in Chalmette. The office is the main law enforcement authority for the parish and handles patrol, civil process, jail operations, and public records. The general line is 504-271-2504. If you need criminal records or incident reports, call the dedicated line at 504-278-7726. For public information matters, the number is 504-278-7614. Each line connects to a different division, so using the right number saves time.

The Louisiana State Police maintains a forms page at lsp.org/forms that includes state-level record request documents relevant to parishes across Louisiana, including St. Bernard.

State Police forms can supplement parish-level requests when criminal history checks or statewide records are needed alongside local St. Bernard Parish documents.

Under La. R.S. § 44:31, every adult in Louisiana has the right to inspect and copy public records held by a government body. The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office is bound by this law. Once you submit a written request, La. R.S. § 44:32 requires the office to respond within three business days, either by producing the record, issuing a written denial with a legal reason, or notifying you of when the record will be available.

Types of Records and What They Cover

The police blotter in St. Bernard Parish is a daily log of activity recorded by the Sheriff's Office. Entries typically include arrests, calls for service, traffic incidents, and other matters handled by deputies. These logs fall under La. R.S. § 44:1's broad definition of public records, which covers any document or record made or kept by a public body in the conduct of public business. Blotter entries are generally available to anyone who asks, though specific details may be redacted when they involve ongoing cases.

Incident reports go deeper than blotter entries. They document individual events in detail, including witness statements, deputy observations, evidence collected, and the outcome of initial investigations. These are public records once an investigation closes. If the case is still open, the office may withhold the full report or redact portions of it under La. R.S. § 44:3. This exemption covers records tied to pending criminal probes. The denial must be in writing and must name the specific legal basis. You can challenge a denial in district court if you believe the exemption was applied incorrectly.

Crash reports are also available through the Sheriff's Office for accidents handled by SBSO deputies. Under La. R.S. § 32:398, accident reports filed with Louisiana law enforcement are accessible to the parties involved and, after the investigation ends, to the public as well. If the crash was handled by Louisiana State Police rather than a parish deputy, you would request that report directly from the LSP.

Note: Records involving juvenile subjects are not public under Louisiana law and will not be released through a standard public records request regardless of the type of incident involved.

Online Resources for St. Bernard Parish

The SBSO website at sbso.org is the central resource for online tools in the parish. The site provides access to information about the parish prison, contact numbers for each division, and general information about how the office operates. For people who need to locate someone currently in custody, the Parish Prison line at 504-278-7645 is the direct number to call. The prison is located at 1900 Paris Road in Chalmette, separate from the main courthouse complex.

Written requests are accepted in person at the Courthouse Square office or by mail. The Criminal Records division at 504-278-7726 handles most document-level requests, including copies of reports and certified records. Calling ahead to confirm what documentation you need to bring or send can prevent delays. The office may ask for a valid ID when records are being requested about a specific individual.

For statewide background checks or criminal history records held at the state level, the Louisiana State Police background check portal at lsp.org/services/background-checks is the right resource. State-level checks cover records from parishes across Louisiana and are useful when you need a broader picture beyond what the Sheriff's Office maintains locally.

Submitting a Records Request in St. Bernard Parish

To request police blotter records or incident reports from the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office, start by calling the Criminal Records and Reports line at 504-278-7726. Staff there can tell you exactly what to submit, what information to include, and how long the process typically takes. Most requests require a written submission. You can bring a written request to the headquarters at 2 Courthouse Square in Chalmette or mail it to the same address.

Your written request should include your full name, the type of record you want, the date range of the incident or arrest, and any case numbers or names that help narrow the search. The more detail you give, the faster the office can locate what you need. If you are requesting records about yourself, a copy of your ID may be required. For records about another person, you may need to show a legal basis for the request.

Under La. R.S. § 44:32, the office has three business days to respond. The response can be the record itself, a written denial with a legal reason, or a notification that the record will be produced at a later date with an explanation of why it is not immediately available. Standard copy fees in Louisiana run from $0.25 to $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost more. Ask the office about current fees when you submit your request so there are no surprises when the record is ready.

If your request is denied and you believe the denial was improper, you can appeal to the district court. The Louisiana Attorney General's Public Records Compliance Unit also takes complaints and provides guidance on the process. Additional guidance on state records law is available through the Louisiana State Archives at lsa.org.

Nearby Parishes

St. Bernard Parish is located southeast of New Orleans and shares borders with three neighboring parishes.