City of Cranston

Police & Incident Reports

Complete this form to submit a request and receive status updates.

Choose a different request type

Required field

Request police incident, arrest, collision, dispatch, or related law-enforcement records.

Type of record requested *

Report or case number

If you have it — this speeds up the search.

Date of the incident

Location of the incident

Name of an involved party

Your relationship to this request

Additional details *

Anything else that will help us locate the records.

Contact information

Nothing here is required. State law does not allow this office to make your name or contact details a condition of getting records. Give an email only if you want us to be able to reach you about this request.

Full name

Email address

Phone

Organization

Mailing address (optional)

Street address

Apt, suite, or unit

City

State

ZIP code

How would you like to receive the records?

Looking at records here in the office avoids the copy charge. Rhode Island caps paper copies at 15 cents a page.

Cost approval (optional)

The first hour of search, retrieval and redaction is free, and after that Rhode Island caps the charge at $15 an hour. If your records will cost more than the amount you put here, this office will contact you before doing the work. It may ask for the estimated cost up front before it starts searching.

Submit anonymously

If you submit anonymously, we can't email you updates. You'll only get status through the tracking-number link, so save it now. Rhode Island does not allow this office to make your name or contact details a condition of getting records, so nothing here is required. Give an email only if you want us to be able to reach you.

What happens next

Submit your request. You get a tracking number right away.
Watch your email. If you provide an email address, a confirmation with a private status link is sent to you.
The records office responds. Follow progress, messages, and released files from your status link.

What to expect

This office has ten business days to respond. That can be extended by up to twenty more business days for good cause, and if it is, you will be told in writing within the original ten. You do not have to say why you want the records, and this office cannot make you give personal information about yourself as a condition of getting them.

RIGL §§ 38-2-3(e), 38-2-3(j), 38-2-7(a)

What this will cost

Paper copies cost up to 15 cents a page. The first hour of search, retrieval and redaction is free, and after that Rhode Island caps the charge at $15 an hour. Pulling records out of storage is charged at what it actually costs. This office may ask for the estimated cost up front before it starts searching. If this office fails to get you the records in time, all copying and search fees are waived.

RIGL §§ 38-2-4, 38-2-7(b)

Questions first?

Ask the records office before you file.

[email protected]

Agency information

City of Cranston Public Records Request Portal

Welcome to the City of Cranston Public Records Request Portal. This portal provides a centralized platform for the submission, tracking, and management of requests for public records in accordance with the Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act (APRA), R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2.

Before Submitting a Request

To assist City staff in locating responsive records, please provide a clear and detailed description of the records you are seeking. Requests will be reviewed and directed to the appropriate department for response.

Important Information

APRA provides access to existing public records maintained by the City of Cranston.
The City is not required to create records, compile data, conduct research, or answer questions in response to a public records request.
Certain records may be exempt from disclosure as permitted by state or federal law.
Fees authorized by law for the search, retrieval, copying, or certification of records may apply.
Requests will be acknowledged and processed within the timeframes established by Rhode Island law.

Retention and Availability of Records

Records are retained in accordance with applicable record retention schedules and legal requirements. The availability of requested records may be subject to retention policies, statutory exemptions, and other limitations established by law.

Contact Information

For assistance regarding public records requests, please contact:

Law Department

City of Cranston

869 Park Avenue

Cranston, RI 02910

Phone: (401) 780-3179

The City of Cranston is committed to transparency, accountability, and providing public access to government records while protecting confidential information as required by law.