Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
Tempe, Arizona, in Maricopa County, has about 190,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Tempe depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Arizona Public Records Law requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Tempe public records, Maricopa County police reports, Tempe arrest records, Tempe warrants, Tempe inmate search, Tempe criminal records, Arizona arrest records and Arizona inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Tempe
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
Inside Tempe that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Tempe Police Department); outside it, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also carries Maricopa Community College and Arizona State University's Main Campus (campus police), each with a records office of its own.
The Apache Junction Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Maricopa County, so its arrests are not broken out for Maricopa County here.
Reports from the Tempe Police
For Tempe, SearchSystems opened and checked the Tempe police records page at tempe.gov/government/police/police-public-records-request (page title: Police Public Records Request | City of Tempe, AZ), phone 480-350-8588, 120 E. 5th Street Tempe, AZ 85281, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Tempe had 799 violent and 5,169 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 7,317 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 5,321 arrests for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at mcso.org/InmateInfo (page title: InmateInfo | Maricopa County Sheriff's Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 1, 2026.
What the Arizona Public Records Law Requires
Under the Arizona Public Records Law the agency must answer a request promptly, with no fixed number of days in the statute, and it may charge the cost of copies, and more for commercial requests. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at maricopa.gov/4214/Public-Records (page title: Maricopa County Public Records Request | Maricopa County, AZ).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, (602) 506-3411, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Tempe?
From the agency that took it. The Tempe police records page is at tempe.gov, phone 480-350-8588; the sheriff's reports come from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Tempe have to answer?
Under the Arizona Public Records Law, promptly, with no fixed number of days in the statute. It may charge the cost of copies, and more for commercial requests.
How do I get a report from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Arizona Public Records Law the answer is due promptly, with no fixed number of days in the statute.
Is this the official Tempe website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.