University Place Police Records
University Place contracts with the Pierce County Sheriff's Office for police services, which means police records for incidents in University Place are held and processed by the Sheriff's Office. To request incident reports, arrest records, or other law enforcement documents from University Place, contact Pierce County directly through their public records portal or the South Sound 911 records system.
University Place Police Records Overview
Pierce County Sheriff Provides University Place Police Services
University Place is a city in Pierce County located south of Tacoma. The city has its own municipal government, but it contracts with the Pierce County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement. This is confirmed by official records: the Pierce County Sheriff is responsible for providing police services for University Place, along with serving the estimated 450,750 people who live in unincorporated Pierce County and the city of Edgewood.
Because of this arrangement, all police records for incidents in University Place are held by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. If you need a copy of an incident report, arrest report, or other law enforcement record from University Place, you must request it from Pierce County, not from a city police department.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office handles public records requests through its own public records unit. Requests should include as much detail as possible: the date and time of the incident, the location, case or incident numbers if known, and the names of parties involved. Providing this information helps staff find the right records faster.
How to Request University Place Police Records
For incident reports, CAD reports, traffic citations, and audio recordings of 911 calls related to University Place, you work through South Sound 911, which is the records coordinator for Pierce County Sheriff's Department. You can submit a request by email to SHRpublicrecords@piercecountywa.gov. Requests can also be submitted through the Pierce County online public records portal, by mail, or in person.
When submitting a request for Sheriff's law enforcement records, you need to provide your contact information, the incident number and type of call, the date and time the incident occurred, the address where it happened, and the names of parties involved. The more complete your request, the more efficiently it can be processed. Pierce County will respond within five business days as required by state law.
Body-worn camera or dash camera video from Pierce County Sheriff deputies has a specific fee: $0.63 per minute of redaction time. Printed copies cost $0.15 per page. Electronic copies cost $0.10 per gigabyte. These fees are set by Pierce County and reflect the costs of processing and releasing records under the Public Records Act, RCW 42.56.
South Sound 911 Records Coordination
South Sound 911 is a regional dispatch organization that serves Pierce County agencies including the Sheriff's Office. It acts as the records coordinator for law enforcement records in the county. If you want incident reports, CAD reports, traffic citations, or 911 call recordings connected to University Place, South Sound 911 is a key point of contact alongside the Sheriff's Office Public Records Unit.
South Sound 911 also handles accident reports for the Pierce County area. For a traffic collision report in University Place, you can often get it through South Sound 911 or through the Washington State Patrol, which is the statewide repository for all Police Traffic Collision Reports. The WSP system at wsp.wa.gov/driver/collision-records charges $10.50 per report and covers crashes statewide regardless of which agency responded.
Criminal Records and Background Checks
The Washington State Patrol WATCH system is the official source for statewide criminal history background checks. The fee is $11 and results are typically instant. You can access WATCH at fortress.wa.gov/wsp/watch. This system shows your full Washington criminal history from all law enforcement agencies in the state, not just Pierce County or University Place.
For court records showing whether charges were filed and how cases were resolved, use the Washington Courts name and case search. Cases from University Place would be filed in Pierce County Superior Court or Pierce County District Court, depending on the type of case. Court records are separate from police records. They show what happened after an arrest: charges, hearings, and case outcomes.
The Criminal Records Privacy Act, RCW 10.97, governs access to non-conviction records in Washington. Arrests that did not result in conviction have limited public access. Adult conviction records are generally available. Agencies must redact certain information even from records that are otherwise public, including bank account numbers, medical details, and similar sensitive data.
Online Crime Reporting for University Place
Some types of non-emergency crimes in University Place can be reported online because the area is served by the Pierce County Sheriff. The county's online reporting system accepts reports for certain property crimes where there is no suspect and no immediate danger. This includes theft, vehicle prowl, vandalism, and lost property in qualifying situations.
A request may be considered abandoned if you fail to inspect released records, make payments when required, or provide clarification within 30 days of being notified. This is a state rule that applies to all public records requests in Washington. Keep an eye on communications from the agency while your request is open and respond promptly to any questions they send.
For guidance on how arrest records and criminal history are handled under Washington law, the Municipal Research and Services Center at mrsc.org offers plain-language explanations for the general public. Their resources cover both the law and typical agency practices, which can help you understand what to expect when you file a request.
Washington Public Records Law
Under RCW 42.56, any person can request public records from any Washington agency. No reason is required. The agency must respond within five business days with either the records, an estimate of when they will be ready, a request for clarification, or a written denial citing specific legal exemptions. If a request is denied, the denial must name the specific statute that permits withholding the records.
If you believe records were wrongly withheld, you can seek review by the Washington State Attorney General's Office or file suit in superior court. Courts have found against agencies that failed to follow Public Records Act requirements. Penalties can include attorney fees and per-day fines for improper withholding. Washington takes open government seriously, and the burden is on the agency to justify any denial.
Pierce County Police Records
University Place police records are maintained by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, which provides contracted police services to the city. University Place sits in Pierce County.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near University Place and handle police records through their own departments or contracted agencies.