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 September 25, 2026.
Santa Monica, California, in Los Angeles County, has about 91,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Santa Monica depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the California Public Records Act 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: Santa Monica public records, Los Angeles County police reports, Santa Monica arrest records, Santa Monica warrants, Santa Monica inmate search, Santa Monica criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Santa Monica
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 Santa Monica that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Santa Monica Police Department); outside it, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol's 14 offices in Los Angeles County; a report taken on a state highway by one of them comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's agency list also places ten campus police departments, five other agencies and one state agency in Los Angeles County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Santa Monica Police
For Santa Monica, SearchSystems opened and checked the Santa Monica police records page at santamonica.gov/process-explainers/how-to-obtain-a-copy-of-a-police... (page title: How to Obtain a Copy of a Police Report), phone (310) 458-8431, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Santa Monica had 557 violent and 3,708 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 4,223 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 5,978 violent and 15,575 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 18,434 arrests for 2023.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (213) 473-6100. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at locator.lacounty.gov/lac/Location/3069210/los-angeles-county-sherif... (page title: Los Angeles County Sheriff | Inmate Reception Center), phone (213) 473-6100, 450 Bauchet St. Los Angeles CA 90012, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
What the California Public Records Act Requires
The California Public Records Act sets the rules: an answer within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances, at a charge of the direct cost of copying only, not staff time, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at lacounty.gov/services/request-documents/public-records-request (page title: Public Records Request | COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Santa Monica?
From the agency that took it. The Santa Monica police records page is at santamonica.gov, phone (310) 458-8431; the sheriff's reports come from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Santa Monica have to answer?
Under the California Public Records Act, within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances. It may charge the direct cost of copying only, not staff time.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Santa Monica?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol's 14 offices in Los Angeles County.
How do I get a report from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (213) 473-6100. Under the California Public Records Act the answer is due within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances.
Is this the official Santa Monica 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.