Wicomico County Police Blotter
Wicomico County police blotter records are maintained by the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office and the Salisbury Police Department, two separate agencies that serve different parts of this Eastern Shore county. The county seat and largest city is Salisbury. You can search court cases tied to police blotter entries through the free Maryland Judiciary Case Search system, file a PIA request with the sheriff's central records division, or submit a separate request to the Salisbury Police Department for incidents within city limits.
Wicomico County Police Blotter Overview
Wicomico County Police Blotter Search
The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of the county. They are a small agency with about 90 sworn deputies. Their office is at 401 Naylor Mill Road, Salisbury, MD 21801. The main phone number is (410) 548-4891. The sheriff's office is organized into three bureaus: Field Operations, Special Operations, and Administration (which includes the records division).
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal lets you search court records from Wicomico County for free. It covers both circuit court and district court cases. Search by defendant name, case number, or filing date. Select "Wicomico" from the county dropdown to narrow your results. The system shows charges, court dates, and dispositions. It does not have the actual police report, but the case data shows what charges resulted from police action.
The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office website provides information about their services, records division, and how to submit PIA requests.
Start here for information about the sheriff's office records process and PIA request procedures.
Wicomico County Central Records Request
The sheriff's office has a detailed central records request form. The current PIA contact is 1st Sgt. Anthony Glenn, reachable at aglenn@wicomicosheriff.com. The form starts with a legal acknowledgment that the PIA pertains to documents only and that the records custodian has 30 days to grant or deny a request with cause. It notes that fees can be charged for retrieving and providing copies.
The form asks for your name, address, phone number, and your interest in the record (whether you are a victim, witness, defendant, media, attorney, or insurance representative). Then you check what type of record you need: accident report, calls for service, police report, or other. For each type, provide the case number, date, time, and location. Be as specific as possible. The form warns that illegible requests will not be granted. Sign and date the form before submitting it.
The Wicomico County PIA page explains the county's approach to public records requests.
This county page covers the PIA process for all Wicomico County government agencies.
Note: The Wicomico County Detention Center is separate from the sheriff's office, so for detention records you must file a separate PIA request through the county government portal.
Salisbury Police Department Records
The Salisbury Police Department is separate from the sheriff's office and handles police blotter records for incidents within city limits. They have their own PIA request process. You can find it at the Salisbury Police MPIA request page. The Salisbury PD has its own records division with its own staff and procedures.
Use this page for police blotter records from incidents that occurred within Salisbury city limits.
If you are not sure which agency handled your incident, start with the sheriff's office at (410) 548-4891. They can point you in the right direction. The key question is whether the incident happened inside or outside city limits. Salisbury handles its own calls within the city. The sheriff covers everything else.
What Wicomico County Police Blotter Records Contain
Arrest records from the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office include the arrestee's full name, known aliases, date of birth, physical description, and address. Each record lists the date, time, and location of the arrest, the alleged offenses with statutory citations, the arresting agency and officer, booking information, bail and bond details, and case numbers.
Adult conviction records, court proceedings, charging documents, sentencing information, and docket entries are all publicly accessible. Juvenile records are confidential under MD Courts Section 3-8A-27. Sealed and expunged records are not available. Information from ongoing investigations may be withheld. Records with personal identifiers like Social Security numbers are redacted. The agency must provide a written explanation citing legal authority for any denial.
Wicomico County Police Blotter Fees
Police reports from the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office cost $5 per report. Copies are $0.50 per page. The Circuit Court charges $5 for searches. Payment is accepted by check, money order, or cash for in-person requests. Online payment options may be available depending on the agency. Make checks payable to Wicomico County Sheriff's Office for sheriff's records, or to the Clerk of Circuit Court for court records.
Fees can be waived for people who qualify as indigent. You need to fill out an Affidavit of Indigency, which is available at the Attorney General's PIA resources page. The first two hours of staff search time are free under the MPIA. After that, fees are charged at a reasonable hourly rate. You will get an estimate before any work begins so you can decide whether to proceed.
Note: A full CJIS fingerprint-based background check through the state costs $38 and is separate from local police blotter records.
Record Retention Periods
Wicomico County follows Maryland's standard record retention schedule. Felony conviction records are kept permanently. Felony acquittal records are retained for 75 years from the final disposition. Misdemeanor convictions are also kept for 75 years. Misdemeanor acquittals are retained for 10 years. Arrest reports stay on file for 75 years from creation. Investigation reports for felonies last 75 years, while misdemeanor investigation reports are kept for 10 years.
These retention periods mean that older police blotter records may still be available even if they are not in the online Case Search system. Contact the sheriff's office or the circuit court clerk for records that go back several decades. The court clerk is at 101 North Division Street, Salisbury, MD 21801, phone 410-543-6551. The district court is at 201 Baptist Street, Salisbury, phone 410-334-3325. Both are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Nearby Counties
Looking for police blotter records in a nearby area? Check these neighboring counties.