Search St. Joseph Police Blotter
St. Joseph police blotter records are maintained by the St. Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office. This northwest Missouri city of roughly 72,000 residents sits on the Missouri River and serves as the Buchanan County seat. You can search St. Joseph police blotter entries by visiting the records unit in person, submitting a written request, or contacting the Buchanan County Sheriff for county-level arrest and booking records. Processing takes 3 to 5 business days for standard requests under the Missouri Sunshine Law.
St. Joseph Quick Facts
St. Joseph Police Department Records
The St. Joseph Police Department is headquartered at 501 Faraon Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501. The main phone is 816-271-4777 and the non-emergency line is 816-271-4700. The department maintains all police blotter records for incidents within St. Joseph city limits.
To get copies of St. Joseph police blotter reports, visit the Records Unit at the police department. You need to complete the department's records request form and specify the type of record you want. Options include incident reports, accident reports, and other police blotter documents. Bring a valid ID and be ready to pay applicable fees. Standard processing takes 3 to 5 business days.
Under Chapter 610 RSMo, the Missouri Sunshine Law, these records are public unless they fall under a specific exemption. Open records include recent arrests and cases that led to a conviction. Closed records may need a court order or notarized release to access.
Buchanan County Sheriff and Police Blotter
The Buchanan County Sheriff's Office shares the address at 501 Faraon Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501. The main phone is 816-236-8800 and the fax is 816-901-1758. Captain Tiger Parsons handles Administration and Records at 816-236-8868.
The Custody Officer is Lt. Joe Lysaght and the Compliance Officer is Lt. Natalie Colbech. Chief Deputy Michael Donaldson oversees overall operations. Records requests can be made in person Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., by written mail, or by email.
Fees at the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office are straightforward. A record search costs $5.00. Copies run $0.10 per page. Certified copies are $3.00 per record. Research that takes more than 15 minutes is billed at $30 per hour. These fees cover access to St. Joseph police blotter data that has been processed through the county system.
How to Find St. Joseph Police Blotter Data
There are a few ways to search for St. Joseph police blotter records. The most direct is to visit the SJPD records unit in person and fill out a request form. For county-level booking data, contact the Buchanan County Sheriff. You can also use the Missouri Case Net system at courts.mo.gov to search for court cases tied to St. Joseph arrests.
The statewide Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS) at machs.mo.gov lets you run name-based criminal history checks. You need a first name, last name, and either a date of birth or Social Security Number. Results are "possible matches" and are only available online. This can help you find out if someone has a criminal record tied to a St. Joseph police blotter entry, but it covers all of Missouri, not just St. Joseph.
For broader crime data, the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Show Me Crime portal at showmecrime.mo.gov has dashboards and statistical reports. You can filter by county to see Buchanan County data, which covers St. Joseph. The MSHP also posts online arrest reports showing arrests by State Troopers over the last 5 days.
St. Joseph Police Blotter Open and Closed Records
Under Chapter 610 RSMo, some St. Joseph police blotter records are open and some are closed. Open records include arrests within the last 30 days, arrests that led to a conviction, and cases where probation is ongoing. These records are available to anyone who asks. You don't need to show a reason for wanting them.
Closed records include not guilty findings, dismissed charges, and nolle prossed cases. To access closed records in St. Joseph, you typically need a notarized release from the person named in the record or a court order. The Sunshine Law protects the public's right to open records while keeping certain outcomes private.
St. Joseph Records Request Process
The records request process in St. Joseph follows the Missouri Sunshine Law. When you submit a request, include the type of record, the date of the incident, and any names or case numbers involved. The department will search its files and notify you of any fees. You pay the fees and then get the records.
Processing takes 3 to 5 business days for most St. Joseph police blotter requests. Complex requests or those that require extensive research may take longer. The city is required to respond within the time frame set by Chapter 610 RSMo. If they need more time, they have to tell you and give an estimate. Once the records are ready, you pay the applicable fees and pick up the copies or have them mailed to you.
The Buchanan County Sheriff charges $5 for a record search, $0.10 per page for copies, $3 for certified copies, and $30 per hour for research beyond 15 minutes. These are separate from any fees charged by the St. Joseph Police Department for its own records. Keep in mind that city and county records may overlap for the same incident if both agencies were involved. Check both systems to get a full picture of a specific St. Joseph police blotter entry.
Captain Tiger Parsons handles administration and records for the county at 816-236-8868. The county jail at 501 Faraon Street has a bed capacity of 234 inmates across three separate housing units. Daily booking and release updates keep the roster current. The 5th Judicial Circuit serves Buchanan and Andrew counties, and Circuit Clerk Tracy S. Stoessell manages court records at 411 Jules St., phone 816-271-1462.
Nearby Missouri Cities
These Missouri cities have their own police blotter records: