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 2, 2026.
Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County, has about 611,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Memphis depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Tennessee 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: Memphis public records, Shelby County police reports, Memphis arrest records, Memphis warrants, Memphis criminal records, Memphis court records, Tennessee arrest records and Tennessee inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Memphis
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 Memphis that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Memphis Police Department); outside it, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's agency list also places two other agencies and four campus police departments in Shelby County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Memphis Police
For Memphis, SearchSystems opened and checked the Memphis police records page at memphispolice.org/divisions/administrative/central-records (page title: Central Records | Memphis Police Department), phone 901-636-3650, 170 North Main St. 7th Floor, Suite 7-11 Memphis, TN 38103, Monday - Friday (except holidays) 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Memphis had 11,239 violent and 30,508 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 16,348 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 461 violent and 1,864 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,603 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
What the Tennessee Public Records Act Requires
Under the Tennessee Public Records Act the agency must answer a request within 7 business days, and it may charge copying, and labor after the first hour. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney General, (901) 222-1300, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Memphis?
From the agency that took it. The Memphis police records page is at memphispolice.org, phone 901-636-3650; the sheriff's reports come from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Memphis have to answer?
Under the Tennessee Public Records Act, within 7 business days. It may charge copying, and labor after the first hour.
How do I get a report from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Tennessee Public Records Act the answer is due within 7 business days.
Is this the official Memphis 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.