A CAD report is the dispatcher’s timestamped log of a 911 call and the units sent to handle it; a police report is the narrative an officer writes afterward describing what they investigated and found. In the CAD report versus police report comparison, the CAD log answers when and who responded, while the police report answers what happened. Most people who need one end up needing the other, and picking the right one first saves time.
What a CAD Report Contains
CAD stands for Computer-Aided Dispatch. The report is generated automatically as the dispatcher works, so every action carries a timestamp. It reads like a receipt for emergency services, not a story.
A typical CAD report shows:
- The time the 911 or non-emergency call hit the system
- The caller’s name and callback number, if available
- An incident type code such as “domestic disturbance” or “burglary in progress”
- The location the caller provided
- Which units were dispatched
- Timestamps for when each unit was dispatched, arrived, and cleared
- Shorthand dispatcher notes with updates from the caller or responding units
- A disposition code summarizing the outcome
The CAD system prioritizes and records incident calls, tracks responder locations, and logs every communication from start to finish, creating an archived record that can be retrieved later.1Department of Homeland Security. Computer Aided Dispatch Systems – TechNote What it does not contain is any investigation. Nobody interviewed witnesses. Nobody collected evidence. The dispatcher recorded what the caller said and tracked where units went.
What a Police Report Contains
A police report is written by the responding officer, sometimes hours or days after the incident. It reflects what the officer observed, who they spoke to, and what conclusions they drew.
A standard police report addresses:
- Victims, suspects, witnesses, and their contact information
- What crime or incident occurred, and what was taken or damaged
- Specific times and locations of relevant events
- The method or circumstances of the incident
- Any known or suspected motive
- What the officer did on scene, including any arrests
- Physical evidence collected, photographs taken, or diagrams drawn
- Whether the case is open, closed, or referred to detectives
The officer also notes their own observations, like property damage, visible injuries, or signs of impairment. If someone was charged, the report identifies the charges, the arresting officer, and the suspect’s custody status. That level of detail is what makes the police report the document that drives legal proceedings.
The Core Differences
The CAD report captures the response. It says dispatch sent two patrol cars to 400 Main Street at 2:14 a.m. for a reported break-in, the first unit arrived at 2:21 a.m., and both units cleared at 3:05 a.m. The police report captures the investigation. It says the officer found a broken rear window, spoke with the homeowner who reported a missing laptop, canvassed a neighbor who saw a white sedan leave at 2:10 a.m., and forwarded the case to detectives.
One is created in real time by a dispatcher; the other is written after the fact by an officer. One uses shorthand codes and timestamps; the other uses full sentences and judgment. And critically, the CAD report reflects what the caller reported, which may turn out to be inaccurate. The police report reflects what the officer found, which carries more evidentiary weight.
How to Read the Disposition Code
The disposition code at the end of a CAD report is a short abbreviation that tells you how the call wrapped up. The codes vary between agencies, but a few are nearly universal. “GOA” means the subject was gone on arrival. “R” or “RPT” means a formal report was written. “UNF” means the call was unfounded. “CIT” means a citation was issued. “ARR” (or the number 15 in some systems) means an arrest was made.
If the disposition is “R,” a police report exists for that incident. If it’s “GOA” or “UNF,” there may be no police report at all, because officers found nothing to document beyond the dispatch record itself. Check the disposition before you request a police report you may never receive.
When You Need the CAD Report
CAD reports matter most when timing matters. If you’re disputing how long officers took to arrive, the CAD log is the definitive record. Insurance adjusters sometimes request them to verify that an incident was reported at the time it supposedly happened, especially in car accident and property damage claims where there’s a question about whether the victim called 911 promptly.
Attorneys use CAD reports to establish timelines and to challenge the narrative in a police report. If the police report says the officer arrived and immediately observed certain conditions, but the CAD log shows a 40-minute gap between arrival and the next logged action, that discrepancy can matter in court. The CAD record is harder to dispute because it was generated automatically as events unfolded, rather than written from memory.
CAD reports also help when no police report was filed. Officers responding to a noise complaint who tell everyone to quiet down and leave may generate no report at all. The CAD log is then the only official record that the call happened.
When You Need the Police Report
For insurance claims involving significant damage or injury, insurers almost always want the police report rather than the CAD log. The police report has the details they need: who was at fault, what damage occurred, and whether any laws were broken. A CAD line reading “traffic accident at Elm and 5th” doesn’t give an adjuster enough to work with.
In a court case, whether you’re a victim, witness, or defendant, the police report is the primary document. It carries the evidence, witness identifications, and officer conclusions that form the basis of charges or civil claims. The CAD report may supplement or challenge it, but rarely stands alone in legal proceedings.
Accuracy and Limits of Each
CAD reports reflect what the caller said, not what actually happened. If a caller reports a burglary but the officer arrives and finds a domestic dispute, the CAD record may still be coded as a burglary until the disposition is updated. Dispatcher entries go in under time pressure, sometimes with garbled information from panicked callers. Addresses may be approximate. Suspect descriptions may be off. The incident type at dispatch may not match reality.
Police reports have their own reliability issues. They’re written by a human who arrived after the incident started and may have seen only part of it. Officers occasionally misidentify witnesses, get vehicle descriptions wrong, or draw conclusions that later evidence contradicts. But police reports go through a review and approval process, and officers know the report may be used in court. That tends to produce more careful documentation than the rapid entries in a CAD log.
Corrections work differently, too. CAD reports are rarely amended because they’re treated as a real-time record. Police reports can sometimes be supplemented with an addendum if you bring an error to the reporting officer or their supervisor, though agencies handle this differently.
How to Request Either Document
Both are generally available through a public records request filed with the agency that responded. For police calls, that’s your local police department or sheriff’s office. For fire or EMS calls, it may be a separate dispatch center.
Include as much identifying information as you can: the date and approximate time, the location, the type of incident, and any case or incident number you were given. The more specific the request, the faster the agency can find your records.
Most agencies accept requests through online portals, by email, by mail, or in person. Processing times vary. CAD reports are often available within a few business days because they already exist as-is. Police reports take longer because they must be written, reviewed, and approved by a supervisor. A minor incident like a fender-bender might produce a police report within a week. Complex investigations involving serious crimes can take weeks or months before the report is finalized and available for release.
Fees vary by jurisdiction. Some agencies charge a small flat fee for a CAD report, often a few dollars up to around $15. Others charge per page or bill hourly staff time after an initial free period. Police reports typically cost more because they’re longer. Requesting both for the same incident is common and sometimes simplifies the process, since the same records division handles both.
Certain records or portions of records may be withheld under state public records law exemptions. Information about ongoing investigations, juvenile suspects, victims of certain crimes, and confidential informants is commonly redacted. If part of your request is denied, the agency should tell you which specific exemption applies.