How to File a Police Report in Nashville, Tennessee

In Nashville, Tennessee, a person can make a police report online for certain offenses by choosing the appropriate option on hubNashville’s public safety page. This choice offers accessibility to individuals with a mobile device such as a smartphone.

A person can also make a police report by phone by contacting the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) non-emergency number at 615-862-8600. A person can file a traffic crash report by calling the same number. A person may also visit a police station in person to make a report.

Offenses that can be reported online with the MNPD include:

• Possible terrorism or homeland security issues.
• Narcotics activity.
• Prostitution.
• Gambling.
• Loitering.
• Property damage. (If the identity of the individual who damaged the property is known, call 615-862-8600).
  
• Fire-related complaint, such as open burning.

If someone is in danger, the person making the report should call 911.

When a person makes a report online, they will be asked to provide specific information regarding the crime. This includes the address or intersection where the crime is taking place. MNPD provides a map of the city for online reports. The map allows the person reporting to zoom in on their location.

Other issues a person can report online include:

• Aggressive driver.
• Minor car accident. (No injuries, impairments, major damage or need for assistance.)
• Wanted criminal with a Davidson County warrant.
• Improperly parked vehicle. (If a vehicle is immobile in a lane of moving traffic, the person should call 911.)
• Non-construction noise violation.
• Request for non-emergency police assistance.
• Abandoned vehicles.
• Request to check the well-being of a person.
• Found property. (If the person reporting knows to whom the property belongs, they should call 615-862-8600.
• Animal welfare concern.
  
• Emergency Medical Services concern.

A person can submit a report online to the Tennessee Department of Safety about an accident that happened on private property. They should download, print and fill out the private property accident reporting form.

To report narcotic activity such as a drug sale, a person can call the police precinct in which the activity is taking place. They can also call the MNPD’s Specialized Investigations Division office at 615-782-3301. Another option is to call Nashville CrimeStoppers at 615-742-7463.

A person can request a police, collision, incident or other type of report by filling out a MNPD Open Records Request form. They can make the request, together with a copy of their photo ID, in person, by mail or via email to MNPDPublic@nashville.gov. A person may request a download of body-worn camera footage and/or in-car camera footage from MNDP through this form.

Footage requests are forwarded to MNPD’s Information Technology (IT) division for processing. The address for MNPD’s Central Records Division, the division responsible for developing and maintaining required law enforcement records, is 811 Anderson Lane, Suite 100, Madison, TN 37115. Public counter hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A police records request should be submitted directly to MNPD. If a person submits a request for a police report to hubNashville, it cannot be forwarded to the MNPD, as per city ordinance. hubNashville will direct the person to submit the request directly to the police department.

All reports are charged per page. The fees for reports are $0.15 per page for black and white copies and $0.50 per page for color copies. All requests completed electronically, such as through email, are free of charge unless a labor fee is required.

All requests made in person, by mail or email will have a labor fee charged if a staff member spends more than one hour producing the requested material.

A person can request an accident report, or crash report, from MNPD five to seven business days after the accident. They must provide the date of the crash, the specific police report number given to each involved motorist by an officer at the scene, and an involved party’s name.

A person who accesses a crash report through Crashdocs.org for MNPD must certify that they were involved in the accident, are an attorney for an involved party, or are an insurance representative of an involved party.

Crashdocs offers online reports from August 2020 forward. Reports of crashes that involve pending criminal charges and/or fatalities are not available from the Crashdocs site. A person can also get a crash report by submitting a request by mail or in person at MNPD’s records counter.

A person can submit an anonymous tip relating to a crime to Nashville CrimeStoppers online, by phone at 615-742-7463 or through the P3 Tips mobile app. The mobile app is available for Android users through the P3 Tips app on Google Play and iPhone users through the P3 Tips app on the Apple App Store.

A person who directly contacts Nashville CrimeStoppers and is the first to give information that leads to a felony arrest, prosecution and indictment (charging) of an adult is eligible for a CrimeStoppers reward. The person may also get a cash reward of up to $1,000.

A person may also be eligible for the CrimeStoppers reward and cash reward if they provide information that leads to the equivalent of a felony arrest, prosecution and indictment of a juvenile. They may further be eligible for the rewards if they provide information that leads to the arrest of a pre-indicted (before criminal charges were instituted) fugitive felon.

The information the tipster provides must pertain to the commission of one of the seven categories of crime set forth by the Nashville CrimeStoppers board of directors. (The seven categories are not listed on the organization’s website.)

Certain individuals are restricted from getting the rewards, such as MNPD employees, victims of the felony crime, and persons who contact any entity or agency, whether law enforcement or other, prior to contacting Nashville CrimeStoppers.

If two or more people provide information about the same crime or felony fugitive, the reward money will be divided as determined by the Nashville, Tennessee, CrimeStoppers board of directors.

A victim should not contact Nashville CrimeStoppers to report a crime; they should contact law enforcement to file a report with a police officer. In addition, a person who is reporting a possible crime in progress should refrain from contacting Nashville CrimeStoppers; they should contact law enforcement directly by calling 911.