Metairie Police Records
Metairie police records are handled by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, which provides all law enforcement services in this unincorporated community. There is no Metairie city police department. If you need to request an incident report, crash report, or other law enforcement record for something that happened in Metairie, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and the Jefferson Parish public records portal are your primary resources.
Metairie Police Records Quick Facts
No City Police in Metairie
Metairie is the most populated unincorporated community in Louisiana. It is not a city and has no city charter, no mayor, and no city police department. All law enforcement services are provided by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office (JPSO). When something happens in Metairie and police respond, it is a JPSO deputy who shows up. The reports they file become part of the JPSO records system, not any Metairie city system that does not exist.
This is a common point of confusion. People who live in Metairie or are involved in incidents there sometimes try to contact a "Metairie Police Department" and find nothing. That is because there is none. All your calls, requests, and follow-ups go to JPSO. Any records related to incidents in Metairie go through Jefferson Parish.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office is headquartered at 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, LA 70058. The main line is (504) 364-5300. The JPSO website is at jpso.com, where you can find contact information, inmate lookup tools, and additional department resources. JPSO covers both the east bank (which includes Metairie) and the west bank of Jefferson Parish.
JPSO maintains records of all incidents, arrests, and calls for service in Metairie. To request a copy of an incident report, contact the Records Division at JPSO. Be prepared to provide the incident date, location, case number if you have one, and the names of people involved. Valid identification is generally required, especially for records tied to a specific individual.
| JPSO Address | 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, LA 70058 |
|---|---|
| Main Phone | (504) 364-5300 |
| Website | jpso.com |
Jefferson Parish Public Records Portal
Jefferson Parish operates an online public records portal at jeffparish.gov/420/Public-Records-Request. This portal allows residents to submit formal public records requests for any Jefferson Parish agency, including JPSO. You can use it to request incident reports, records from the Sheriff's Office, or other records held by the parish government. Submitting online creates a record of your request and gives you a way to track its status.
Louisiana's Public Records Act at La. R.S. 44:1 gives you the right to access non-exempt government records within three business days. If a record is denied, the agency must tell you why in writing and cite the specific exemption under La. R.S. 44:3. This applies to any records from JPSO or Jefferson Parish.
Criminal History in Louisiana
Louisiana is a closed-record state under La. R.S. 15:587. Criminal history records maintained by the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information are not public. Authorized agencies, employers in certain regulated fields, and individuals checking their own records are the main groups who can access a full criminal history report through BCII.
If you need to check your own record, contact the LSP BCII at 7919 Independence Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806. The phone is (225) 925-6095, and hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The fee is $36. You have the right under La. R.S. 15:588 to review and challenge your own file. More information is at lsp.org/services/background-checks.
Crash Reports for Metairie Accidents
Crash reports for accidents that happened in Metairie go through the Louisiana State Police traffic records system. Online crash reports cost $11.50 and are available about 15 days after the accident. Fatal crashes are not released online. For those, you must go in person and wait 60 days. The LSP crash report portal is at lsp.org/services/crash-reports. The traffic records unit is at lsp.org as well.
What Records Are Available
Through JPSO and the Jefferson Parish records system, you can generally access initial incident reports for closed non-sensitive cases, arrest records, traffic accident reports, and call logs through a formal request. Records tied to active investigations, those involving minor victims, sexual offenses, and cases with undercover elements are not public. These exemptions come from La. R.S. 44:3.
JPSO's Records Division can tell you whether a specific record is available before you make a formal request, which saves time if the record turns out to be restricted.
Jefferson Parish Police Records
Since Metairie is an unincorporated part of Jefferson Parish, all law enforcement records are held at the parish level. The Jefferson Parish page has full details on JPSO contacts, court records, and how to access parish-level records.
Nearby Cities
Other nearby cities close to Metairie in the greater New Orleans area are listed below.