Mesquite Police Records
Mesquite police records are held by the Mesquite Police Department at 777 N. Galloway Avenue. The city sits in Dallas County with a population around 150,000 residents. If you need a copy of an incident report, crash report, or arrest record from Mesquite, the police department is your first stop. You can file a request in person at the records office, send one by mail, or submit a public information request online through the city portal. Most police records in Mesquite are public under Texas law. This page covers how to search for and get copies of Mesquite police records, what fees apply, and where to look for related records in Dallas County.
Mesquite Overview
Mesquite Police Records Office
The Mesquite Police Department runs its records office out of the main station at 777 N. Galloway Avenue. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is closed on weekends and city holidays. You can call (972) 216-6200 for help with a records request or to check if a report is ready. The front desk staff can look up reports by case number, date, or the names of the people in the report.
Mesquite PD serves the whole city, which covers about 45 square miles in eastern Dallas County. The department has more than 300 sworn officers and handles tens of thousands of calls each year. All incident reports, arrest records, and crash reports go through the records division at the main station. If you go in person, bring a valid photo ID. That is standard for all records requests in Mesquite.
| Office | Mesquite Police Department - Records |
|---|---|
| Address | 777 N. Galloway Avenue Mesquite, TX 75149 |
| Phone | (972) 216-6200 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | cityofmesquite.com/police |
For urgent requests, call ahead to see if your report is in the system. Reports from recent incidents may take several business days to process before they are available for release. The department will let you know if a report is still pending or if it falls under an exception in Texas law.
The Texas DPS Crime Records Division is the state clearinghouse for criminal history data and law enforcement records across Texas.
You can use DPS resources to run statewide background checks and search criminal history records that may include Mesquite police data.
How to Get Mesquite Police Reports
There are a few ways to get police records in Mesquite. You can go to the station in person, mail a written request, or file a Public Information Act request online. Each method works. The one you pick depends on how fast you need the report.
For in-person requests, go to 777 N. Galloway Avenue. Bring your photo ID and give the clerk the report number if you have it. If not, the date, time, and location of the incident will help them find it. You can also give names of the people in the report. The standard fee for a copy is around $6.00 per report. Certified copies cost more. Cash, check, or money order are the most common payment methods at the window.
Mail requests should go to Mesquite Police Department, Records Division, 777 N. Galloway Avenue, Mesquite, TX 75149. Include the report number or enough detail to find the record. Add a check or money order made out to the City of Mesquite for the fee amount. The records division will mail you the report once it is ready.
Online requests go through the City of Mesquite website. Under the Texas Public Information Act, the department has 10 business days to respond. You do not need to say why you want the record. Anyone can ask for public police records in Texas.
Mesquite Police Records Fees
Mesquite PD charges fees for copies of police records. These match what Texas law allows. Standard incident reports cost about $6.00 each. Certified copies run a few dollars more. Accident reports pulled from the statewide CRIS system cost $6.00 per report.
For large requests that take a lot of staff time, the department may charge $15.00 per hour for labor after the first two hours. There is also an overhead charge on top of labor costs per Government Code Section 552.275. If the total cost goes past $40.00, you will get an itemized estimate before work starts. The first 50 pages are free if the records sit in one location. Crime victims can get one free copy of their incident report with a valid ID.
Types of Mesquite Police Records
Mesquite police records cover a wide range of documents. Incident reports are the most common type people ask for. These are the reports officers write when they respond to a call or take a report at the station. Each one has the date, time, location, and a description of what happened.
Arrest records show who was taken into custody, what they were charged with, and where they were booked. Crash reports (CR-3 forms) document vehicle accidents that officers respond to. These go into the TxDOT CRIS database and can be bought online after 60 days. Offense reports, supplemental reports, and property reports are also on file at the Mesquite Police Department. Each ties back to a case number that you can use to request copies.
Some records have limits on who can see them. Juvenile records are restricted. Records tied to active investigations can be held back under Texas Government Code Section 552.108. Once a case is closed, most of those records open up to the public.
Note: Body camera footage must be requested separately and may take longer to process than standard police reports.
Police Records and Texas Law
Your right to get Mesquite police records comes from the Texas Public Information Act in Government Code Chapter 552. This law says that government records are open to the public unless a specific exception applies. You do not need to give a reason for your request.
When Mesquite PD denies a request, they must ask the Texas Attorney General within 10 business days for a ruling on whether they can withhold the record. The AG then has 45 working days to decide. If you think the department is wrong, you can appeal in state district court. Common reasons for withholding records include active investigations, juvenile info, and personal data like Social Security numbers.
Officers in Texas must be licensed through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. TCOLE keeps records on officer certifications, complaints, and disciplinary actions. Those are separate from local police records but are also public in many cases.
Mesquite Police Records Online
Several online tools can help you search for police records and related data in the Mesquite area. The VINE Link system lets you track offender custody status and get alerts when someone is released from jail. It is free to use.
The TDCJ Offender Search covers state prison inmates. The Texas Judicial Branch portal has court records from across the state. For crash reports, use the TxDOT CRIS system. Dallas County also has its own online records search through the district clerk and county clerk offices. These tools work around the clock and do not require a trip to any office.
Dallas County Police Records
Mesquite sits in Dallas County, one of the most populous counties in Texas. While the Mesquite Police Department handles records inside city limits, the Dallas County Sheriff's Office covers unincorporated areas and runs the county jail system. For a full look at police records resources across the county, check the Dallas County page.
Nearby Cities with Police Records
Several large cities near Mesquite have their own police departments and records divisions. If the incident you are looking for happened outside Mesquite city limits, you may need to contact one of these departments.
Dallas is directly west of Mesquite. Garland is to the north. Irving and Grand Prairie are farther west in the Dallas metro. Richardson is northwest, and Arlington is to the southwest in Tarrant County. Each city runs its own police force and keeps its own records.