Show All Answers

1. How do I report an incident or crime?

If you have an emergency call 911 immediately. If the incident is of a serious nature call the nonemergency number at 864-271-5333.

If the incident does not require the physical presence of an Officer, or you are reporting an incident mainly for insurance purposes, (like a lost or stolen cell phone or minor private property accident), the front desk Officer can take your report over the phone at 864-467-5258.

Before calling the non-emergency or front desk phone numbers please determine if the incident occurred within the city limits. If it occurred in Greenville County you will need to contact the Greenville County Sheriffs Office at 864-271-5210.

2. How do I leave a crime tip?

Call CrimeStoppers at 23-CRIME (864-232-7463). If your tip leads to an arrest, you could receive a substantial reward. You will be given a confidential number which is the only trace of identification provided to both informants and officers. No names are required or given. If your information leads to an arrest, you will be given a check from the Crime Stoppers organization. This check is left at a local bank with only numbers to indicate the recipient.

3. How do I report a crime?

Call 911 if the crime is in progress. If the crime has already occurred and it occurred within the City limits, call the nonemergency number 864-271-5333.

4. How do I thank or commend an officer?

We appreciate your interest in commending the actions of one of our Officers or employees. It is much appreciated. To do so you can call 864-271-5333 and ask to speak to the employee's supervisor and verbally communicate your praise. You can send a message online, or you can write a letter to Chief Howie Thompson at:

4 McGee Street

Greenville, SC 29601

Or, you can email the Office of the Chief. Please include your name and address. Commendations received by the Chief of Police will result in advising the employee of your gratitude, and the commendation will be permanently recorded in the employee's personnel file. If the action is sufficiently praiseworthy, additional recognition may be given.

Thank you for taking the time to thank our personnel!

5. How can I file a complaint about an officer?

The Police Department encourages anyone who believes they have a valid complaint against an employee of this agency to file a report. We believe in the integrity of this Department. We are founded on a history of honor and professionalism. All allegations of misconduct will be thoroughly investigated. Only by becoming aware of improprieties by our employees can we take the necessary corrective and/or disciplinary action to ensure that this Department maintains the highest standards. If you believe you have a valid complaint, please contact the Office of Internal Affairs at 864-467-5148. Or, you can fill out an online complaint form and someone from Internal Affairs will contact you. All complaints receive a response.

6. How can I check for registered South Carolina sex offenders?

In order to maintain awareness of sex offenders living in your neighborhood, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office has added a Sex Offender Registry to their website. The registry will allow you to enter any local address. It will then provide a list of all registered Greenville County sex offenders living within a one-mile radius within the boundaries of Greenville County. If you are looking for information about a particular sex offender, registered in Greenville County, the registry can help there as well.

You can also search for a registered sex offender via the S.L.E.D. Sex Offender Registry website.

7. How can I get my property back if it was recovered stolen or seized as evidence?

To retrieve evidence, a person must have a court order or written authorization from the arresting officer or detective in the case. Bring the court order or written authorization along with a photo identification and the case number to Property and Evidence. If you are picking up a car, gun, or money, please call in advance. The number is 864-467-5266. The Property and Evidence Unit is located at 4 McGee Street. They are open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

8. My car was towed. How do I get it back?

The Greenville Police keeps a record of all vehicle tows within the City limits that were involved in a traffic accident or traffic stop, abandoned on public property or illegally parked on public property. If you suspect that your motor vehicle has been towed from within the City limits, contact our Communications division at 864-271-5333.

9. I have a question concerning a City Ordinance Code. Where can I find the Ordinance?

You can read the entire City of Greenville Code of Ordinances online.

10. How can I contact a specific Officer?

To contact a specific Police Officer call the GPD non-emergency line at 864-271-5333. Be prepared to give the operator the Officer's name or unit number, the case number (if applicable), your contact information and reason for the call.

The operator will take a message and forward it to the Officer if they are on duty at the time of the call. The Officer will return your call as soon as possible.

If they are not on duty, the operator may be able to advise you when they are scheduled to return to work and you will need to call back during that time. Operators will not contact Officers who are off duty. Most Officers work rotating 12-hour shifts (day shift or night shift), 2 days on, 3 days off, 3 days on, 2 days off and so forth, so it can be several days before they are back on duty.

Please be aware that due to patrol requirements, it is often impossible for an Officer to immediately return your call.

It is against Department policy for operators to release phone numbers for individual Officers.

11. How do I get a copy of my police report?

Contact the Public Records Division at 864-467-5257 and they can assist you with obtaining a copy of your incident report. When your copy is ready, you can pick up it up at the Law Enforcement Center located at:
4 McGee Street
Greenville, SC 29601

12. How can I find out if someone has been arrested or is in jail?

You can check online to see if someone has been incarcerated. For more information search the Greenville County Detention Center website.

13. My family/friend is overdue and I'm worried about them. Can you tell me if they were in an accident?

Unfortunately, Police Department dispatchers will seldom be able to advise if your overdue friend or loved one has been involved in an accident. Dispatchers handle vehicle accidents 24 hours per day, 7 day per week and there are just too many to be able to quickly identify each and every accident which has occurred. In addition, dispatch does not record the names of the individuals involved - only the vehicle descriptions and if they were towed. Detailed information is taken by the Officer on the scene and dispatch does not have immediate access to that data.

Another problem is the accident could have occurred anywhere along the expected route of your overdue person, usually overlapping several jurisdictions which would have responded to the accident.

We suggest that you call area hospitals and see if they have been admitted. This is a more effective way of finding out if someone has been injured in a local accident.

14. How can I follow the Greenville Police Department?

There are several ways to follow the Greenville Police Department on social media. We have Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

You can also follow us by way of our app, which can be download via Android and iPhone.