Boston Arrest Records Search

Boston arrest records are public documents maintained by the Boston Police Department and Suffolk County courts. This page explains how to find, request, and use arrest records in Boston, Massachusetts, including online tools, in-person options, and the legal framework that governs public access.

Boston Police Department Public Records

The Boston Police Department keeps arrest reports, incident logs, accident reports, and daily booking data. Most of these records fall under MGL c. 66, § 10, which requires agencies to respond to public records requests within 10 business days. Paper copies cost $0.05 per page. Staff must provide up to two hours of search time at no charge, and $25 per hour applies after that.

The Records Access Officer for the City of Boston is Grace Jung, Director of Public Records. Her contact is grace.jung@boston.gov. Requests go to: 1 City Hall Square, Room 615, Boston, MA 02201. You can also email publicrecords@boston.gov or call (617) 635-4037 directly.

Daily arrest logs are public by law. Under MGL c. 41, § 98F, police departments must make their logs available to the public. The logs show names, dates, charges, and case status. Boston publishes these through its open data portal as well.

How to Submit a Public Records Request

Boston has an online portal at www.boston.gov/departments/public-records. Click "Submit a Request," create an account, select "Boston Police Department," fill in the form with the incident type, date, time, location, and report number if you have it, then submit. You will receive a tracking number by email.

By email, send your request to publicrecords@boston.gov. Include your name, contact details, the record you need, the date and location of the incident, and your preferred format. By mail, address your letter to the Records Access Officer, City of Boston, 1 City Hall Square Room 615, Boston, MA 02201.

In-person requests go to Boston Police Headquarters, Public Service Unit, One Schroeder Plaza. Call ahead to confirm hours before you visit, since walk-in availability can change. Electronic copies are free when the record exists in digital form. Paper copies run $0.05 per page.

Boston Crime Data and Open Records

The City of Boston runs an open data portal at data.boston.gov. Crime incident reports are available there and can be filtered by date, neighborhood, and offense type. Datasets are downloadable in CSV format. An API is also available for developers and researchers who need bulk access.

In 2019, Boston recorded 16,537 total crimes. Of those, 4,244 were violent crimes and 12,293 were property crimes. That represented a 14 percent drop from 2016 levels. Crime data is updated regularly and broken down by district, which maps to the city's police districts.

The Boston Police Department also publishes annual reports that include arrest totals by offense type, district, and demographic breakdown. These reports are available on the department website and through the city's public records portal.

Suffolk County Courts and Criminal Records

Criminal case records for Boston are filed in the Suffolk County court system. The Suffolk County Superior Court handles felony cases and is located at 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, phone (617) 788-8160. The Boston Municipal Court system covers misdemeanor cases and arraignments across several divisions.

Boston Municipal Court divisions include Central (24 New Chardon Street), Roxbury (85 Warren Street), South Boston (535 East Broadway), Charlestown (3 City Square), and East Boston (37 Meridian Street). Each division handles cases from its geographic area. You can look up case dockets online through masscourts.org, which provides public access to court filings statewide.

Court records show charges, case status, hearing dates, and outcomes. They are separate from police reports but often contain overlapping information. Both are public unless sealed or expunged under state law.

CORI and Criminal History in Boston

Massachusetts uses the Criminal Offender Record Information system, known as CORI, to manage criminal history records. Under MGL c. 6, § 167, CORI includes arrest records, charges, and dispositions for anyone 18 or older. It is maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, not local police.

Access rules depend on the outcome of the case. Under MGL c. 6, § 172, misdemeanor records carry a five-year wait before they drop off standard background checks. Felony records stay visible for 10 years. Non-conviction records, including arrests that did not lead to charges or guilty findings, are available for immediate sealing under certain conditions.

You can request your own CORI through the state's iCORI system at www.mass.gov/icori. This is the fastest way to see what criminal history records exist under your name. Employers and agencies with authorized access use the same system but see a filtered view based on their authorization level.

Boston residents who want to seal a record can do so under MGL c. 276, § 100A. Misdemeanors are eligible after a three-year waiting period. Felonies require seven years. Non-conviction records may qualify for automatic sealing under MGL c. 276, § 100C without any waiting period. Expungement is available in limited cases under MGL c. 276, §§ 100E through 100U, generally for first-time, low-level offenses.

Suffolk County Sheriff and Inmate Records

The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department is located at 20 Bradston Street, Boston, and can be reached at (617) 635-1000. The department runs two main facilities: Nashua Street Jail, which holds pretrial detainees, and South Bay House of Correction, which houses people serving sentences of up to 2.5 years.

Inmate searches can be done through the Massachusetts Department of Correction website for state prison inmates. The Suffolk County Sheriff's website has a separate lookup tool for county jail and house of correction residents. These records show current housing location, booking date, and release status where public disclosure is permitted.

District Attorney and Prosecution Records

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office is located at 1 Bulfinch Place, Boston, phone (617) 619-4000. The website is www.suffolkdistrictattorney.com. The DA's office handles prosecution of felony and serious misdemeanor cases in Suffolk County, which covers Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop.

Case information from the DA's office may include charging documents, plea agreements, and sentencing records. These are generally accessible through the court docket system at masscourts.org. You can search by defendant name, case number, or docket number.

Sex Offender Registry

The Sex Offender Registry Board, known as SORB, maintains public listings of registered sex offenders in Massachusetts. You can search the registry at www.mass.gov/sorb. The registry is searchable by name, city, and zip code. Level 2 and Level 3 offenders are publicly listed. Level 1 offenders are not shown in the public search.

Domestic Violence Records

Restraining orders, abuse prevention orders, and related court filings may appear in the court system and are accessible through the clerk's office at the relevant district or superior court. Not all such filings are sealed, but sensitive information may be redacted.

Nearby Cities

These nearby cities also have arrest records pages with local resources and contact information.

Suffolk County Records

Boston is part of Suffolk County. County-level court records, sheriff records, and DA case files are covered on the county page.