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View Questions & Answers |
| General | back to top |
| Q. | What is the number to the jail? |
| A. | * The number for the Booking Desk at the jail to inquire about persons in jail is 423-1655.
* To reach dispatch for the Sheriff's Department the numbers is 423-9321.
* The number for the Sheriff's Administrative Offices is 423-9388. |
| Q. | Can you tell me if someone is wanted on warrant? |
| A. | This information is available in person only at the Lafayette Police Department. It is also available online at the Tippecanoe County Courts website:
|
| Q. | How do I obtain a handgun permit? |
| A. | Permits to carry a handgun include: Hunting and target, Personal Protection, Firearm Dealer, and Retired Officer.
To obtain a handgun permit, an application may be picked up at the Lafayette Police Department Records . Complete instructions will be given to you regarding the application and procedures to apply.
The application must be notarized prior to submitting it to this department. When the application is completed a processing fee (in the form of money order or personal check) is payable to the City of Lafayette and must be presented to the Lafayette Police Department along with the application.
Complete instructions and the application may be obtained between 8am and 10pm Monday through Friday at the Records window of the Lafayette Police Department. |
| Q. | How and where can I get a protective order? |
| A. | Protective orders can be obtained at the YWCA Domestic Violence Program between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at 605 N 6th St, Lafayette, IN 47901. For an appointment please call: 765-742-4486, Hotline: 765-432-1118, Toll free: 888-345-1118. Walk-ins accepted. |
| Traffic/parking/seatbelts, etc? | back to top |
| Q. | What are the Traffic Section's regular business hours? |
| A. | The Traffic office is open Monday - Friday 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM. We are also closed on some Holidays. |
| Q. | How do I get my vehicle out of impound? |
| A. | The registered owner or their authorized designee would need to bring in proof of ownership, proof of insurance on the vehicle and a licensed driver is needed so when the vehicle is released from the impound yard we know a licensed driver is responsible for it. The proof of insurance should be an insurance company form, which includes the vehicle covered and the dates for which the policy is in force. We will then give you a release form to take to the impound yard. |
| Q. | If the required documents to get my vehicle released are in the impounded vehicle what can I do? |
| A. | The registered owner or his authorized designee is allowed to go to the impound yard and retrieve those documents, but only those documents, from the impounded vehicle. Those can be brought to the Police Department to obtain the release. |
| Q. | To whom may an impounded vehicle be released? |
| A. | The registered owner can designate another person to get the vehicle release for them but this permission must be either in the form of a power of attorney or a written statement that is witnessed and signed by a Notary Public. |
| Q. | How much does it cost to get my vehicle out of impound? |
| A. | There is no fee to get the release from the Police Department. The only money associated with the impound will be to the impound yard for their fee for towing and storing the vehicle. |
| Q. | Where can I pay the fine for a traffic citation? |
| A. | All traffic citations issued by the Lafayette Police Department can be paid at the Tippecanoe County Clerk of Courts Office on the second floor of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. |
| Q. | Where can I pay the fine for a yellow parking ticket? |
| A. | The Lafayette Police Department parking tickets are yellow in color and carry a $10 fine. They can be paid by placing the fine amount in the parking ticket envelope and mailing it to the Lafayette City Clerk or they can be paid in person by taking the parking ticket and the fine amount to the Lafayette City Clerk's Office on the second floor of Lafayette City Hall during regular business hours. |
| Q. | How long can I park in a handicap parking space downtown? I have a handicap license plate/or sticker. |
| A. | All street parking in the downtown area is limited to a certain amount of time. One hour, two hour, or in some cases other time limits. Any handicap parking space that is situated within any time limit zone is limited to the same length of time as that posted for any other part of the block. For example, if the handicap parking space is located in a one hour zone then the handicap space is also limited to one hour. |
| Q. | Where can I pay the fine for a green and white parking ticket? |
| A. | Green and white parking tickets from the downtown area can be paid by mailing the payment in the white envelope provided, paying in person at Denison Parking located on the 5th Street side of the Lafayette City parking garage, or visiting the link below to go to Denison Parking website. |
| Q. | How can I get a copy of a crash report? |
| A. | Crash reports can be purchased for $7.00 at the Traffic Office of the Lafayette Police Department during regular business hours. You can purchase the report in person, or send a request by mail. By mail include the date of the crash, the name of the driver, $7.00, and a return envelope that is stamped and addressed. Please allow 2 days from the day of the crash before coming in to pick up a copy of the report. We accept cash and checks only. |
| Q. | Who can get a copy of a crash report? |
| A. | Anyone can pick up a crash report during regular business hours. |
| Q. | My child is big for his age and seems to fit in the regular seatbelt, does he still have to be in a car seat? |
| A. | If your child is less than four years old they must be in a carseat or booster seat. If they are at least 4 years old and tall for their age and can sit back in the seat and his/her feet touch the floor then they can be in a regular seatbelt. If not, they should be in a booster seat so that the seatbelt will fit them properly. It is extremely important that a child restraint be properly fitted. They can sustain more injury from a regular seatbelt (in some cases death) when it is does not fit properly. In July, 2005, all children through age 7 MUST be in a booster seat. |
| Q. | At what age can my child ride in the car without a booster seat? |
| A. | Currently, when they turn 4 years old. (This law changes in July 2005). Booster seats with shields should not be used with children over 40 pounds. |
| Q. | Can my kids ride in the bed of the pick up truck? Can anyone ride in the bed of my pick up truck? |
| A. | Anyone under 12 years old must be buckled up. As of July 1, 2005, anyone under 16 years old must be buckled in any vehicle in any seat, so no, they can't ride in the bed of a pick up. Right now 13 years old can be in the bed of a pick up and next July you must be 16. However, this is an extremely dangerous practice and we do not condone any person riding in the bed of a truck. |
| Q. | If my passenger is not wearing a seat belt, can I get a ticket? |
| A. | Yes, if they are under 16 years old you will get the ticket. If the passenger is 16 or older then the passenger will receive the ticket. |
| Q. | How long can I leave my car parked on the street? I drive it about once every couple of weeks. |
| A. | City ordinance says vehicles parked on a city street must be moved every 5 days. Otherwise, the vehicle is considered to be stored on the street, in violation of city ordinance. |
| Q. | My house has no off street parking and people sometimes park on the street in "my space" in front of my residence. |
| A. | All parking spaces on city streets, unless marked otherwise by an official City of Lafayette sign, are public parking spaces and anyone may park there. |
| Q. | I really hate the color and design of our license plate; Can I cover it with some of that nice looking red tinted Plexiglas to match the color of my car? |
| A. | No, you may not. You may not cover your license plate with anything that is colored. A clear cover may be used. Also you may not put anything around your license plate that would negatively affect the ability to view any of the information on a license plate. |
| Q. | How dark can I tint my car windows? |
| A. | The State of Indiana defines 30% as the legal limit for any window in a motor vehicle. |
| Q. | Where can I pay the fine for a parking ticket received from Denison Parking? |
| A. | 1. The ticket normally has an envelope with it addressed to the:
Citation Processing Center
PO Box 3214
Milwaukee, WI 53201-3214
Enclose a check for the proper amount and the ticket and mail it to the above address
2. Tickets may be paid at the Denison Parking Office at the drive-in entrance to the City Parking Garage at 18 North 5th Street.
3. Payment for Denison tickets will not be accepted by either the City Clerk's Office or the Lafayette Police Department.
4. Payment of parking tickets issued by a Lafayette Police Officer may be mailed in or made at the City Clerk's office in City Hall.
|
| Q. | How will I know if the ticket I receive is from Denison or from the City of Lafayette's Police Department? |
| A. | 1. A ticket from Denison will be white and have a green strip across the top and across the bottom and will say "DENISON PARKING-LAFAYETTE" across the top.
2. A parking ticket from the Lafayette Police Department will be a bright yellow envelope that can be used to mail in the fine. |
| Q. | May I have a Handicap Parking Space installed in front of where I live or where I have a business? |
| A. | 1. Installation of a Handicap Parking Space must be requested in writing from the Lafayette Parking Commission. The Commission will hear the request at one of its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings and issue a decision on it.
2. The requestor must have no available off-street parking and have a legal Handicap window tag or license plate.
3. Once installed, the Handicap Parking Space is available to anyone with proper Handicap certification on their vehicle. The space can not be reserved for the requestor's personal use.
4. The Handicap Parking Space will be reviewed every 2 years to determine if the need still exists.
5. There is no charge to the requestor to have a special parking space installed. |
| Q. | Why can't I ever find a parking space in Downtown Lafayette near where I want to go? |
| A. | 1. There are over 1,000 on-street parking spaces, 1,200 garage parking spaces and numerous public and private parking lot spaces available in Downtown Lafayette. Many of the latter are available free in other-than-normal business hours.
2. Use one of the parking garages. For a small fee, one can park for up to two hours. And if your lunch or shopping run a little longer, the little bit more that it costs will still be significantly less than the cost of a parking ticket.
3. Park and walk. We do at the mall. Walking is good for us. |
| Police Records? | back to top |
| Q. | Can you tell me if someone is wanted on warrant? |
| A. | This information is available in person only at the Lafayette Police Department. It is also available online at the Tippecanoe County Courts website:
|
| Q. | How do I obtain a copy of a police report? |
| A. | A request for documentation form needs to be completed. These may be obtained by clicking here or coming to the Lafayette Police Department Records between 8am and 10pm Monday through Friday.
The request will be reviewed consistent with State/Federal statutes and the requester will be notified within a week if the report may be released.
If the information from the report is needed for insurance purpose, upon receiving a request for this purpose and payment of $7.00 in check or money order payable to The City of Lafayette, then Records will provide a summary letter, which we refer to as "Insurance Letter". This letter will provide all necessary information needed by an insurance company, so that a claim may be filed with the victim's insurance company.
There will be a minimum charge of $7.00 for all documents which are released.
Requests for police reports can be made by filling out this form. |
| Q. | How do I obtain a criminal background check for employment? |
| A. | You must complete a records check form at the Lafayette Police Records Section,
20 N. 6th Street
between the hours of 8am and 10pm, Monday through Friday.
The completed request will be available for pick-up after 24 hours. A fee of $7.00 payable to the City of Lafayette must be presented to Records at the time the records check is picked up.
This records check will only pertain to arrests made by this department and this department may release no juvenile arrests, by state law.
To obtain a more complete criminal background check contact the Indiana State Police in Indianapolis . They will obtain a set of your fingerprints and a thorough search of the Central Repository System will be completed. For fees and complete procedures you will need to contact the Indiana State Police Post in West Lafayette, Indiana or the Indiana State Police Central Records, 100 N Senate, Indianapolis, IN.
The form for the records check for LPD can be viewed by clicking here. This form cannot be submitted electronically. It must be presented in person or mailed to LPD headquarters. |
| Investigations/Crime Scene Questions? | back to top |
| Q. | Can I file a report directly with a detective for investigation? |
| A. | No. All complaints are assigned to patrol officers who conduct preliminary investigations and reports. Depending upon a variety of factors those initial reports may be assigned to a detective for follow-up investigation but you should not assume your complaint will automatically be seen by a detective. |
| Q. | I have been a victim of a crime that happened out of town but did not make a report yet. Can I report that crime to the Lafayette Police? |
| A. | The Lafayette Police can only make reports and investigate crimes and incidents that occurred within our jurisdiction. If an incident occurred somewhere other than within the city limits of Lafayette, you will be referred to the agency having jurisdiction. |
| Q. | My car was broken into and the officer did not take any fingerprints, wouldn't that have solved the case? |
| A. | Not necessarily. There must be latent prints recovered from the scene of sufficient quailty for comparison and the suspect's prints must be on file. That means no identification will be possible if the suspect has never been arrested and processed. |
| Q. | My garage was broken into and the officer found some fingerprints. Why hasn't the burglar been arrested yet? Can't you just enter the prints into the computer and find out who they belong to? |
| A. | No. Just because a suspect fingerprint is located does not necessarily mean they can be identified. The recovered fingerprint must have identifiable characteristics sufficient for comparison. Then the suspect's prints must be on file. If the suspect has never been arrested and processed, their prints won't be on file. |
| Q. | When the burglar broke into my business he cut himself and left blood all over the counter. Can you do a DNA test and find out who did this crime? |
| A. | The Indiana State Police lab can test the blood to come up with a genetic profile and check it through CODIS (combined DNA Index System) of known convicted offenders. The suspect's DNA must be on file from a conviction that mandates the blood draw and the person has to have been sent to the Indiana DOC for this to occur. If the convicted person serves time in the county jail or in community corrections, the blood draw never happens. There has to be a known standard in CODIS to make an identification. Another issue is the DNA backlog for the initial genetic profile to be obtained from the crime scene blood. Recently the lab reported a 5,800 case backlog and the lab works on crimes against person cases prior to property crime cases. A property burglary could take years to get a DNA profile from crime scene blood. |
| Questions about persons who are arrested? | back to top |
| Q. | What is the number to the jail? |
| A. | * The number for the Booking Desk at the jail to inquire about persons in jail is 423-1655.
* To reach dispatch for the Sheriff's Department the numbers is 423-9321.
* The number for the Sheriff's Administrative Offices is 423-9388. |
| Q. | Can you tell me if someone is wanted on warrant? |
| A. | This information is available in person only at the Lafayette Police Department. It is also available online at the Tippecanoe County Courts website:
|
| Q. | Can you tell me if someone is in jail or what their bond is? |
| A. | All questions pertaining to jail and inmates should be directed to the Tippecanoe County Sheriffs Department at 423-1655 |
| Q. | What usually happens to someone when they get arrested? |
| A. | The arrest process varies according to the specific situation. Some people go directly to jail. Some people come to LPD for questioning, breath tests, drug examinations or other further investigation. Some people go to the hospital on their way to jail due to their state of intoxication or for injuries related to the crime they committed. |
| Q. | How is a jailed person's bond determined? |
| A. | The judges of our county have determined a bond schedule that the jail uses to determine the bond amount. The amount is determined by the type of crime and number of crimes that were committed. Some crimes are only eligible for bond after a mandatory fixed jail term, ie. public intoxication requires 12 hours of incarceration to make sure the person is sober when they are released, domestic abuse related charges also carry a 12 hour minimum hold time before release, OWI charges have minimum hold times related to the arrested person's blood alcohol content (BAC). |
| Permits/Background Checks/Sex Offender Registry? | back to top |
| Q. | How do I obtain a handgun permit? |
| A. | Permits to carry a handgun include: Hunting and target, Personal Protection, Firearm Dealer, and Retired Officer.
To obtain a handgun permit, an application may be picked up at the Lafayette Police Department Records . Complete instructions will be given to you regarding the application and procedures to apply.
The application must be notarized prior to submitting it to this department. When the application is completed a processing fee (in the form of money order or personal check) is payable to the City of Lafayette and must be presented to the Lafayette Police Department along with the application.
Complete instructions and the application may be obtained between 8am and 10pm Monday through Friday at the Records window of the Lafayette Police Department. |
| Q. | How do I obtain a criminal background check for employment? |
| A. | You must complete a records check form at the Lafayette Police Records Section,
20 N. 6th Street
between the hours of 8am and 10pm, Monday through Friday.
The completed request will be available for pick-up after 24 hours. A fee of $7.00 payable to the City of Lafayette must be presented to Records at the time the records check is picked up.
This records check will only pertain to arrests made by this department and this department may release no juvenile arrests, by state law.
To obtain a more complete criminal background check contact the Indiana State Police in Indianapolis . They will obtain a set of your fingerprints and a thorough search of the Central Repository System will be completed. For fees and complete procedures you will need to contact the Indiana State Police Post in West Lafayette, Indiana or the Indiana State Police Central Records, 100 N Senate, Indianapolis, IN.
The form for the records check for LPD can be viewed by clicking here. This form cannot be submitted electronically. It must be presented in person or mailed to LPD headquarters. |
| Q. | How do I get a garage sale permit? |
| A. | Garage sale, yard sale, and rummage sale permits are available through the Lafayette Water Works office located in City Hall at 20 N. 6th Street. |
| Q. | Where can I find the sex offender registry? |
| A. | There are two sex offender registries in the State of Indiana. One is maintained by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and the other is maintained by the Indiana Sheriff's Organization. The Indiana Sheriff's Registry will provide you with an address and photo of the offenders in our area. Check the links below. |
| Protecting yourself? | back to top |
| Q. | How do I obtain a handgun permit? |
| A. | Permits to carry a handgun include: Hunting and target, Personal Protection, Firearm Dealer, and Retired Officer.
To obtain a handgun permit, an application may be picked up at the Lafayette Police Department Records . Complete instructions will be given to you regarding the application and procedures to apply.
The application must be notarized prior to submitting it to this department. When the application is completed a processing fee (in the form of money order or personal check) is payable to the City of Lafayette and must be presented to the Lafayette Police Department along with the application.
Complete instructions and the application may be obtained between 8am and 10pm Monday through Friday at the Records window of the Lafayette Police Department. |
| Q. | How and where can I get a protective order? |
| A. | Protective orders can be obtained at the YWCA Domestic Violence Program between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at 605 N 6th St, Lafayette, IN 47901. For an appointment please call: 765-742-4486, Hotline: 765-432-1118, Toll free: 888-345-1118. Walk-ins accepted. |
| Q. | I have questions about visitation or child custody. |
| A. | Solutions to problems involving civil law must often be resolved in court and thus most questions can be best answered by an attorney. |
