Hennepin County Police Blotter

The Hennepin County police blotter covers arrest logs, jail roster data, and incident reports from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and over two dozen municipal police departments within the county. Hennepin is the most populous county in Minnesota, and it has more online access tools for police blotter records than most counties in the state. You can search the official jail roster, look up court records online, and request incident reports from the Sheriff or the relevant city department depending on where an incident occurred.

Hennepin County Sheriff's Office

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is part of the Hennepin County Government Center at 300 S 6th St, Minneapolis, MN 55487. The county main line is (612) 348-5151. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office website covers services, records, and department contacts. The office oversees the county jail, provides law enforcement for unincorporated areas, and handles records requests for incidents under its jurisdiction.

Hennepin County is large and complex. It includes Minneapolis, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, and Edina, among many other communities. Each of those cities has its own police department. The Sheriff handles incidents in unincorporated parts of the county, county facilities, and specific county-wide functions. If your incident happened inside a city, contact that city's department for the police blotter record.

All Hennepin County records follow Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13. Arrest data is public under Minnesota Statutes § 13.82. That law defines what agencies must release and what they can withhold. Hennepin County is fully subject to these rules just like every other county in Minnesota.

The image below comes from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office website, the primary source for county-level law enforcement data and police blotter records in Hennepin County.

The Sheriff's Office site links to the jail roster, records request information, and department contacts for Hennepin County law enforcement.

Hennepin County Jail Roster and Police Blotter Data

Hennepin County maintains an official online jail roster at jailroster.hennepin.us. The roster provides real-time custody information on individuals who have been received by, are currently in, or have been released from the Hennepin County Jail. Search by name to check current custody status, booking date, and charge information. The server can occasionally be unavailable; if you get an error, try again later or call the jail directly.

Jail booking data is public under Minnesota law. The name of the person booked, charges, and the booking date are all public. The Hennepin County arrest records page outlines what records are available and how to access them. For questions about a specific person in custody, the Sheriff's Office line at (612) 348-5151 is the place to start.

West Hennepin Public Safety handles records for some of the western portions of the county. The West Hennepin records page shows that report requests are accepted Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Reports may be requested in person, by mail, or online. This is a good option if your incident happened in a western area outside major city limits.

Hennepin County Court Records and Police Blotter

The Hennepin County Fourth District Court handles criminal, civil, family, and juvenile cases for the county. The District Administrator is at C-1251, Government Center, Minneapolis 55487, phone (612) 348-6000. Court case records tied to police blotter arrests are available through the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) system at the Minnesota Courts portal.

Once an arrest leads to charges being filed, the case appears in the court database. This is separate from the blotter itself but closely related. MCRO lets you search by name or case number and see filings, hearing dates, and dispositions. Searching MCRO is free. Some documents may cost a per-page fee, but basic case information is publicly viewable at no cost.

For criminal history background checks, contact the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The BCA maintains statewide criminal history records that go beyond what the local blotter shows. These are used for background check purposes and cover convictions, not just arrests.

What Hennepin County Police Blotter Data Is Public

Under Minnesota Statutes § 13.82, arrest records are public in Hennepin County and across Minnesota. Public data in an arrest record includes the name, age, sex, and last known address of the arrested person. The time, date, and location of the arrest are public. The charges and the arresting agency's identity are also public data. Some mugshots may be released depending on the case.

Private data is protected. Active investigation details are not disclosed while a case is open. Juvenile records are sealed. Victim data in sexual assault and domestic violence cases stays private. Confidential informant identities and undercover officer data are withheld. When a file has both public and private sections, staff must separate them and give you access to the public parts. Under Minnesota Statutes § 13.03, you can inspect public data without charge and without having to explain your reason for asking.

For any Hennepin County records request, the agency must respond without delay. If a request is denied, you get a written explanation with the specific legal authority cited. You can challenge that denial through the Minnesota Department of Administration. The law is enforced consistently across all Hennepin County agencies, from the Sheriff's Office to Minneapolis PD to small suburb departments.

Cities in Hennepin County

Hennepin County includes many large cities, each with its own police department. For incidents inside these city limits, contact the city department directly for police blotter records.

Other communities in Hennepin County include Golden Valley, Crystal, Hopkins, St. Louis Park, Richfield, and many more. All city police departments operate under the same Minnesota public records rules as the Sheriff's Office.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hennepin County. Each has its own records process and sheriff's office.