Access Scott County Police Blotter
The Scott County Sheriff's Office in Shakopee handles law enforcement for Scott County and maintains the police blotter, which includes arrest records, incident reports, and traffic crash data. Sheriff Luke Hennen leads the office, which serves a growing suburban county south of the Twin Cities metro. Minnesota law defines what must be public in a county police blotter and what can be withheld. This page explains how to access Scott County police blotter records and what you should know before submitting a request.
Scott County Sheriff's Office
The Scott County Sheriff's Office is located at 301 Fuller Street South in Shakopee, MN 55379. The main phone number is 952-496-8300. The fax number is 952-496-8715. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Records and Support Staff unit handles public records requests and can be reached through the main office line. For jail and warrant inquiries, call 952-496-8314. The Victim Assistance line is 952-496-8242.
The Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining criminal history records, investigative reports, and criminal case files. It forwards certain records to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI as required by state and federal law. These submissions are part of the statewide and national crime reporting systems that allow data to be compiled and shared across agencies.
What the Police Blotter Covers
Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, Scott County must treat certain law enforcement data as public. The police blotter includes arrest names and addresses, dates and locations of arrests, charges, the names of arresting officers, and the location where a person is being held. This is basic arrest data, and it is open to anyone who asks. You do not need to show a special reason to access this type of record.
In 2021, the Scott County Sheriff's Office recorded 1,338 traffic calls, 121 accidents, 114 suspicious activity calls, and 96 alarm responses, totaling 1,130 incidents overall. This kind of aggregate data gives a picture of the volume of activity that generates blotter records each year. Individual incident records are filed for each of these calls and are available through the Records Department, subject to applicable privacy rules.
Minnesota Government Data Practices Act
The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act provides the legal framework for public access to records. The relevant provisions are found in Minn. Stat. § 13.03, which governs how government agencies must respond to data requests. Under this statute, all government data is public unless a specific law says otherwise. The burden is on the agency to justify withholding data, not on the requestor to prove they deserve access.
Minnesota Statute 13.03 lays out the government data practices framework that applies to all Scott County public records requests, including police blotter data.
Minn. Stat. § 13.03 - Government Data Practices Act establishes your rights as a member of the public when requesting records from the Scott County Sheriff's Office or any other government agency in Minnesota.
Reviewing this statute before submitting a request helps you understand what the office is required to provide and what timelines apply.
When data is withheld, the office must cite the specific legal authority for the denial. You can then appeal to the Office of Administrative Hearings if you believe the denial was improper. For most routine police blotter requests, such as arrests and basic incident data, the office should fulfill your request without issue.
How to Request Records
Scott County offers an Online Data Request Portal through the county website. This is the most convenient option for most requestors. You can also submit requests by mail or by calling the Records Department directly at 952-496-8300. When making a request, provide the date and time of the incident, the Incident Complaint Number (ICR) if you have it, the location, and the names of the parties involved. Having this information ready reduces delays and helps staff locate the correct file.
Waiting periods apply to certain records. Criminal incident reports may take up to five business days to process. Accident reports may take up to ten business days. These timelines reflect the review process and any redactions that need to be applied before the record can be released. For requests under § 13.03, the office must respond within ten business days regardless of whether the record is ready. They can notify you of an extended timeline, but they cannot simply ignore the request.
Non-public data requires photo ID when picking up records in person. This applies to records that are available only to specific parties, such as the subject of the data or their authorized representative. For fully public data, no ID is required, though you may still need to fill out a request form.
Accident Reports
Accident reports are available for motor vehicle crashes that meet the criteria requiring a report under state law. Not every fender-bender generates a formal accident report. Only crashes that meet certain thresholds for injury, death, or property damage typically require one. If you are not sure whether a report was filed for a specific incident, call the Records Department and ask.
Access to accident reports is limited. Only parties involved in the crash, their attorneys, and their legal representatives with a signed authorization are entitled to receive a copy. If you are an attorney requesting a report on behalf of a client, you will need to provide a signed authorization from the client. This is a standard requirement across most Minnesota counties and follows the state's rules on protected data about crash participants.
Records the Sheriff Does Not Maintain
The Sheriff's Office does not keep all types of official records. Marriage, birth, death, and divorce records are not held by the Sheriff. Vital records for Scott County are handled by Customer Service at 952-496-8150. Court records, including case files, judgments, and court orders, are maintained by Court Administration, which you can reach at 952-496-8200. Asking the right office saves time and avoids unnecessary delays.
Jail and Inmate Information
Scott County operates a jail in Shakopee. To check whether someone is in custody, use the VINE inmate search system at vinelink.com. VINE is a free, statewide service that allows you to look up an inmate's custody status by name and sign up for alerts. It is available to anyone, including attorneys, family members, and crime victims.
The VINE system provides statewide inmate search and custody notification services, including current booking status for Scott County detainees.
VINELink Inmate Search is the statewide tool for checking custody status and registering for custody change notifications for Scott County and other Minnesota counties.
For warrant and jail inquiries, you can also call the Scott County Sheriff's Office directly at 952-496-8314.
Booking data is part of the public police blotter under § 13.82. The name of anyone booked into the Scott County jail, the date and time of booking, and the charges are all public. For more specific custody information or questions about a particular individual's status, contact the jail line at 952-496-8314.
Southwest Metro Drug Task Force
Scott County participates in the Southwest Metro Drug Task Force, a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement unit that investigates narcotics offenses across several counties and cities. Records tied to task force investigations may be handled differently than standard patrol records. If you are looking for records related to a drug investigation, the Sheriff's Office can tell you whether those records are held locally or by the task force, and what process applies to requesting them.
Community Resources
The Scott County Sheriff's Office runs a Community Academy, a seven-week program open to residents, workers, and students in the county who are 18 or older and pass a background check. The program gives participants a look at law enforcement operations, including how records are created and managed. It is not required for records access, but it can be useful for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how the Sheriff's Office works.
The Victim Assistance program at 952-496-8242 can help crime victims understand their rights, including their right to access records about their own cases. Victims have certain priority rights under Minnesota law that may allow faster access to specific reports.
Sheriff's Office Records Page
The Scott County Records and Support Staff page on the county website explains the records request process, what information is needed, and how to use the online portal. The Scott County Sheriff's Office page provides contact information, division listings, and department news.
Nearby Counties
Scott County is bordered by several other counties in the Twin Cities metro and southern Minnesota. If you need police blotter records from a neighboring area, you can access those county pages directly.
Search Scott County Police Blotter Records
Use the search tool below to look up Scott County police blotter records and incident data. You can also contact the Records Department at 952-496-8300 or use the county's online data request portal for specific record types. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.