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.
Princeton, New Jersey, in Mercer County, has about 31,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Princeton depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Open 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: Princeton public records, Mercer County police reports, Princeton arrest records, Princeton warrants, Princeton criminal records, Princeton court records, New Jersey arrest records and New Jersey inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Princeton
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
Inside Princeton that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Princeton Police Department); outside it, the Mercer County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Mercer County State Police in Mercer County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's agency list also places two campus police departments, one state agency and one other agency in Mercer County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Princeton Police
For Princeton, SearchSystems opened and checked the Princeton police department's page at princetonnj.gov/363/Police-Department (page title: Police Department | Princeton, NJ), phone 609-921-2100, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Princeton had 13 violent and 177 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 233 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Mercer County Sheriff's Office
The Mercer County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 3 violent and 2 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 411 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
What the Open Public Records Act Requires
The Open Public Records Act sets the rules: an answer within 7 business days, at a charge of copying at 5 cents a page for letter size, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Prosecutor handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Princeton?
From the agency that took it. The Princeton police department's page is at princetonnj.gov/363/Police-Department, phone 609-921-2100; the sheriff's reports come from the Mercer County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Princeton have to answer?
Under the Open Public Records Act, within 7 business days. It may charge copying at 5 cents a page for letter size.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Princeton?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Mercer County State Police in Mercer County.
How do I get a report from the Mercer County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Open Public Records Act the answer is due within 7 business days.
Is this the official Princeton 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.