Search Anne Arundel County Police Records

Anne Arundel County police records are managed by the county police department's Central Records Section at its headquarters in Millersville. This is one of the larger police agencies in Maryland, covering a county with over half a million residents. You can request police reports, CAD notes, 911 call audio, and body camera footage through their office. Anne Arundel County also has an online portal for public information requests. Court records from the county are available for free through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search.

Anne Arundel County Police Department Records

The Anne Arundel County Police Department handles law enforcement for most of the county. Chief Amal Awad leads the department from its headquarters at 8495 Veterans Highway, Millersville, MD 21108. The main phone number is (410) 222-8050. For police records, call the Central Records Section at (410) 222-8750. This is where all incident reports, arrest files, and other police records for Anne Arundel County are stored and processed.

Anne Arundel County is not like many other Maryland counties that rely on a sheriff's office for primary law enforcement. Here, the police department handles most of the work. The sheriff's office still exists but focuses on court services and civil process. That means your request for Anne Arundel County police records goes to the police department, not the sheriff. This is an important detail that sets the county apart from most other jurisdictions in the state.

The Anne Arundel County Central Records Section page is shown below.

This page provides an overview of the records section and how to reach them for police report requests in Anne Arundel County.

How to Request Anne Arundel County Police Records

There are three main ways to get police records from Anne Arundel County. You can submit a request online, by mail, or in person. The online public information request portal is available around the clock. For mail requests, send your letter to Anne Arundel County Police Department Central Records, 8495 Veterans Highway, Millersville, MD 21108. You can also walk into the Central Records Section at headquarters during business hours.

Fees for Anne Arundel County police records are straightforward. A standard police report costs $5. CAD notes are also $5. If you need an archived report pulled from storage, that runs $35. Color photo copies cost $1 each, and a photo CD is $5. Audio from 911 calls costs $25 on CD. Audio, photo, or video records are $40. If your report runs past 20 pages, each additional page is $0.25. Most reports are ready 7 to 10 days after the incident, though some take longer for more involved cases.

The police records request page on the Anne Arundel County website has more details.

This page lays out the fees and steps for getting police records from the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

Types of Anne Arundel County Police Records

Anne Arundel County keeps a wide range of police records. The department handles everything from basic incident reports to body camera footage. Most people request standard police reports or accident reports, but the full list of available records covers much more. Under the MPIA §4-201, you have the right to inspect and copy any public record that is not exempt.

• Police incident reports
• CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) notes
• 911 call recordings
• Accident reports
• Body camera footage
• Photo and video evidence records
• Speed and school bus violation citations

Body camera footage is a newer type of police record that more people are asking for. Anne Arundel County police officers wear body cameras, and the footage they capture is a public record under Maryland law. However, there are privacy exceptions. Footage showing victims, juveniles, or certain sensitive situations may be redacted before release. The fee for video records is $40, which covers the cost of review and copying.

Records Access Laws in Anne Arundel County

The Maryland Public Information Act is the legal backbone of records access in Anne Arundel County. Under MPIA §4-206, agencies can charge reasonable fees for copies but must keep costs fair. The first two hours of search time are free. After that, Anne Arundel County can charge based on the hourly pay of the employee doing the work. Fee waivers exist for people who cannot afford the costs or when a request serves the public interest.

Anton's Law also affects how Anne Arundel County handles police disciplinary files. Since October 2021, records from internal affairs investigations are no longer treated as sealed personnel files under Public Safety Article §3-101. The Anne Arundel County Police Accountability Board now reviews complaints against officers. Misconduct records can be released, though the department is not required to hand them over in every case. This was a big change from how things worked before, when these files were completely off limits to the public.

The Anne Arundel County online records request portal is shown below.

This portal lets you submit public information requests to Anne Arundel County agencies around the clock.

Anne Arundel County Police Records Online

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers all courts in Anne Arundel County. You can look up criminal, civil, and traffic cases for free. Search by name, case number, or date. The tool shows case information but not full document images. Juvenile cases and expunged records do not show up.

Anne Arundel County also publishes daily crime reports. These give a snapshot of recent activity across the county. The detention center has an inmate lookup tool as well. For criminal history checks, the CJIS Central Repository in Baltimore runs fingerprint-based reports for $38. The Maryland Sex Offender Registry lets you search for registered offenders in Anne Arundel County by name, zip code, or address. All of these are free to use except the criminal history check.

If you have old police records in Anne Arundel County that you want removed, expungement may be an option. Under Criminal Procedure Article §10-101, certain records can be wiped if charges were dropped or you were found not guilty. Shielding under §10-306 seals some older misdemeanor convictions from public view but does not destroy the record.

Cities in Anne Arundel County

Several cities and communities in Anne Arundel County have their own pages with local police records details.

Nearby Counties

Anne Arundel County borders several other Maryland counties. These pages cover police records in neighboring areas.