Victims

• Victims of crime have a legal right to the police report of the incident. This even includes accident victims, as they may need the report for insurance purposes.
  
  

Victim's Attorneys

• Attorneys representing victims of crime, whether in a civil proceeding or as an advocate in criminal proceedings, have a right to the police report so that they can better represent the victim.
  
  

Insurance Companies

• Insurance companies representing victims also have a right to the police report. This can include car insurance companies in accident matters, or health insurance companies paying for a victim's medical bills.
  
  

Defense Attorneys

• Under the rule of discovery, defense attorneys have a legal right to the police report. The report typically will not be given by the police department, but rather by the prosecution agency handling the case after the defendant has been arraigned.
  
  

Defendants and Suspects

• Most police departments will not give reports to defendants and named suspects. As a defendant you are entitled to the report after your arraignment, but not before.
  
  

Other Interested Parties

• Other parties may be able to access police reports by filing a request to the department. Typically, you can access the report only after it has become a matter of record, i.e., after the defendant has been arraigned. In most jurisdictions, accessing the police report for parties other than victims is not a matter of right, and can be denied.