FAQ

The department is located at 1800 Longwood Drive. The telephone number is 979-337-7337. The FAX number is 979-337-7342.

Patrol officers work 12-hour shifts, but are available for duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Citizens should call 911 for police, fire or medical emergencies ONLY. When calling 911, stay on the line and try and remain calm. Have your information readily available. The Brenham Emergency Communications Department dispatches for all public safety agencies in Washington County.

All information about people who have been arrested can be obtained by calling the Washington County Jail at 979-277-6255. The jail is operated by the Washington County Sheriff's Department.

To take care of a traffic ticket or a traffic warrant, contact the Brenham Municipal Court at 979-337-7500. Tickets can be paid at Municipal Court between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Municipal Court is located on the first floor of City Hall, 200 W. Vulcan Street. Arraignments are held every Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the City Council Chambers, located on the second floor of City Hall.

If you are involved in a minor accident where there are no visible signs of injury to the persons involved and the vehicles are drivable, then move your vehicle out of the traveled portion of the roadway. Cars left in the roadway contribute to traffic congestion, which can cause other accidents. Call the police and exchange driver information. If there are injuries involved, DO NOT move the vehicles or the injured parties. Call 911 for emergency services.

Due to the risk of damage to the vehicle, the Police Department does not unlock cars. If other circumstances exist, such as a young child locked in the vehicle, an officer will be sent to assist in any way possible. Contacting a locksmith is your best alternative in most cases.

View the TxDOT Save me with a seat site to view the latest information on vehicle child safety.

All requests for police services are assigned by priority, based on the nature of the call. Calls with potential for injury or property damage and calls that are serious in nature or occurring at that time, will be dispatched as soon as possible. Calls that are less urgent or that are belated are considered less of a priority and may be held while officers handle emergencies.

Dispatchers are trained to try and get as much information as possible to determine the nature of the problem and its seriousness. The information is necessary for the safety of the responding officers, as well as the general public.

To obtain a copy of an accident report, please contact the Brenham Police Department at 979-337-7337 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Accident reports can also be obtained by going to TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System Accident reports cost $6 per copy.

Police reports and other police-related documents are available by filing an Open Records Request through the Office of the City Secretary. Requests must be made in writing and can be sent via hand delivery, e-mail, fax or regular mail to:

City of Brenham
P.O. Box 1059 (200 W. Vulcan St.)
Brenham, Texas 77834-1059
Attn: City Secretary

E-mail: Karen Stack 
Phone: 979-337-7564
Fax: 979-337-7568

All open records requests for the City of Brenham are processed by the City Secretary's Office. All requests for information are treated uniformly. Once the request is received, the City Secretary determines whether or not the requested information can be released as outlined in the Texas Public Information Act.

If the information is deemed releasable, then the information will be processed and sent out within ten (10) business days. If the requested information cannot be released the City Secretary will notify the requestor, in writing, within ten (10) business days.

The Brenham Police Department offers a 12-week training course called the Citizens Police Academy. The program is designed to give the public a working knowledge of the department through the use of tours, lectures, demonstrations, "hands-on" experiences and riding with the officers. Program participants gain valuable insight into the policies and procedures of the police department. If you're interested in participating in the class, contact Lt. Steven Eilert at 979-337-7325.

Contact our office Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The number to call is 979-337-7337.

The Brenham Police Department's annual operating budget is $4.2 million.