West Haven Police Department Processing
The West Haven Police Department is the municipal arresting agency and first local records point. It may process a person after a West Haven arrest, create an incident or arrest report, take fingerprints or a custody photograph when applicable, and handle initial release or bond communication. The research did not locate any official West Haven city inmate roster, daily booking report, mugshot gallery, jail visitation page, inmate mail system, commissary page, or police holding-cell bed count.
This distinction is central to West Haven County inmate search work. WHPD is a police headquarters with short-term holding and records duties, not a full jail. Connecticut has a unified correctional system, so people who remain in custody after police processing may move to a CT DOC facility such as New Haven Correctional Center. Court charges for adult local West Haven matters usually route through Milford GA 22 or the Ansonia-Milford Judicial District.
WHPD's official materials list Chief Joseph S. Perno, who began full-time service with the department in 1978 and was sworn in as chief in 2019. The police site also notes that the Board of Police Commissioners was created by legislative act on October 13, 1913. Those local facts describe the city agency, but they do not create a county jail roster or a city inmate population page.
West Haven Police Department Lookup Route
Use WHPD Records for police reports and arrest records. Use the Connecticut DOC inmate search for current DOC custody after transfer. Use the Connecticut Judicial Branch criminal lookup hub for filed court charges and court dates. Treat each channel as a different record system rather than one shared jail database.
- Start with WHPD Records if the question is a local police report, WHPD case number, arrest report, or body-camera FOI request.
- Search CT DOC if the person was not released and may be in state custody after processing.
- Search pending cases or daily dockets for Milford GA 22 when the question is court charges after a West Haven arrest.
- Use VINELink for notifications, BOP for federal custody, and ICE ODLS for immigration detention.
A no-result DOC search can mean the person was released on a promise to appear, is still in local police processing, has not reached the daily DOC update, is excluded by youthful-offender rules, or is in a non-DOC custody path. WHPD can address police-record availability, but it cannot provide a public jail roster that does not exist.
West Haven Police Department Records
The WHPD Records Division is located in the police headquarters lobby. It maintains police reports, arrest records, and statistical data reported to state and federal agencies. The same division also handles local permits, including pistol, vendor, raffle, amusement, and bazaar permits. Day-to-day operations are supervised by Sergeant Marcus Tavares, and the research says the division is staffed by six full-time civilian employees.
| Record item | West Haven Police detail |
|---|---|
| Records hours | Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 12:30 p.m.-3:45 p.m.; closed weekends and holidays. |
| Report fee | $0.50 per page, with WHPD case number requested when available. |
| Body-camera FOI | $40.00 per request and WHPD FOI form required. |
| Payment methods | Cash, check payable to City of West Haven, money order payable to City of West Haven, or credit card. |
| Report timing | Police reports are generally available within four business days, but arrest-party reports may be limited by court proceedings. |
The city FAQ states that completed and available police reports can be obtained through the Records Division. It also warns that reports involving an arrested party may not be available because of court proceedings. That warning is important for booking photo and arrest report requests under Connecticut public-record rules.
West Haven Police Department Contact
Use the main police number for general police contact and the Records Division route for report requests. Emergency calls must go to 911. For current inmate status after transfer, use CT DOC and not the WHPD lobby. For court charges, use Judicial Branch case lookup and the Milford court route.
West Haven Police Department
200 Sawmill Road
West Haven, CT 06516
203-937-3900
Lobby: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
WHPD Records Division
200 Sawmill Road
West Haven, CT 06516
203-937-3920
Records requests during posted records hours
West Haven Police FOI Requests
Formal public-records requests can use the West Haven FOIA route when an informal Records Division request is not enough. The city FOIA form can be submitted electronically to FOIA@westhaven-ct.gov, by mail, or in person to the Office of the City Clerk at 355 Main Street, West Haven, CT 06516. The research also lists a fee-waiver affidavit for qualifying indigency requests.
| FOI form field | How it applies to WHPD records |
|---|---|
| Custodian of records | Use WHPD Records when seeking police reports, arrest records, or booking/custody photo material. |
| Description | Include name, date, WHPD case number, report type, and whether a custody photograph is requested. |
| Fee threshold | State the cost amount that requires approval before copies are made. |
| Submission | Email FOIA@westhaven-ct.gov or submit to the City Clerk route listed in city materials. |
Connecticut FOIA is not absolute. Juvenile records, erased records, sealed material, protected witness or victim information, and details that could prejudice a pending prosecution can be redacted or withheld. C.G.S. Section 1-215 supports public access to records of arrest and certain records that document or depict arrest or custody, but it includes limits and exemptions.
West Haven Police Department Holding Limits
WHPD should not be presented as a facility for inmate visits, inmate mail, deposits, or commissary. No official WHPD visitation schedule, mail rules, phone account system, or inmate funds vendor was located. If a person is moved from police processing into DOC custody, facility rules come from CT DOC and the assigned correctional center.
| Question | Correct route |
|---|---|
| Can I visit someone at WHPD? | No public jail visitation program was located; confirm custody and facility first. |
| Can I mail a person at WHPD? | No inmate mail system was located for WHPD short-term holding. |
| Can I send commissary funds? | No WHPD commissary or inmate account system was located. |
| Where is a held person searched? | CT DOC locator after transfer, or WHPD/court records if not in DOC custody. |
West Haven Police Records Sources
The official West Haven Police city page is the source for headquarters address, Chief Joseph S. Perno, phone, fax, emergency number, and lobby hours.
The city page supports WHPD contact details, but it does not provide a jail roster or inmate population search.
The WHPD Records Division page documents report fees, records hours, payment methods, and the body-camera FOI requirement.
That Records Division source is the right match for police reports and arrest records, while custody status after transfer belongs to CT DOC.
West Haven Police Records Fallbacks
When a West Haven County inmate lookup starts with a police arrest, use a simple custody split. WHPD can have the local report, police case number, and records-request route. CT DOC can have the current custody location if the person was committed to a correctional center. Judicial Branch can have the court record even when the person has bonded out or never entered DOC custody.
For immigration custody, use ICE ODLS after transfer to ICE, not WHPD. For federal custody, use BOP after federal designation and understand that U.S. Marshals may have temporary custody before BOP appears. For status-change alerts, use CT SAVIN or VINELink. No official WHPD inmate lookup mobile app was located, and the city Emergency Alerts link is not a roster.
Note: WHPD can confirm police-record procedures, but current inmate custody belongs to the agency holding the person.