What is a police blotter?
A police blotter is the running log a police agency keeps of calls, incidents and arrests. Many local newspapers print a selection of it, usually a few lines per incident.
Where the word comes from
The blotter was the desk book where a station recorded arrests and incidents as they came in. The name stuck after the book went digital.
What a blotter entry includes
Usually a date, a time, a location and a one-line description of the call. Some agencies and papers include names and ages. Some do not.
Blotter, complaint, roster
- A blotter is the agency's log of what officers responded to.
- A criminal complaint is the document a prosecutor files in court to charge someone. It tells the story in more detail.
- A jail roster is the list of who is in a county jail right now.
What CAWPS uses
CAWPS episodes are based on criminal complaints, because a complaint says what is alleged in full sentences. We leave out the names.
Checked October 3, 2026. General information, not legal advice.