Can I pick up a police report in Jersey City that someone else filed?

November 9, 2019 11:08 AM

I loaned my bicycle to a friend in Jersey City and it was subsequently stolen from their building's bike room (along with several other residents' bikes). The police report my friend filed is now ready to be picked up, which I’d like to do ASAP to get the ball rolling on an insurance claim. Is it even possible for me to go get a copy of the report in person even though I'm not the one who filed it?

The municipal office where the report can be retrieved is closed til Tuesday. My friend and I are currently trying to plot our schedules for the next couple weeks since we’re both pretty busy with upcoming work trips, so it'd be great to figure this out right now. The precinct house I just called couldn't answer this question and their website doesn't say anything on the matter.

posted by theory to Law & Government (3 answers total)

Yes, it's a public record, it doesn't matter that you're not the person who filed it.
posted by beagle at 11:26 AM on November 9, 2019

Response by poster: For anyone who needs this info in the future:
I am NOT allowed to go to the office and pick up a copy of the police report that my friend filed for the stolen bike. My friend has to pick it up in person or it can be faxed/mailed for a $10 fee. This may be because of the nature of the report itself (it may be easier to obtain an accident report, for example).
posted by theory at 12:01 PM on November 15, 2019

Open records laws are frequently misinterpreted by local administrators, and I think this is the case here. If your friend can get a copy, it's a public record, and should be available to everyone. But local functionaries often have other ideas and make rules contrary to the state's open records laws.
posted by beagle at 9:59 AM on November 19, 2019