Frequently asked questions

Your police department is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. We are prepared to respond to the needs and answer any questions, anytime of the day or night.

For all incidents that require an immediate response by the police, you should call 911. Although this response is qualitative in nature, the best suggestion is to call 911 when you know that someone is injured or may be injured, there is a crime in progress or loss or damage to property may be imminent without quick police response.

If you find yourself questioning as to whether you should call 911 or the business line, 978-465-3121, call 911. The dispatcher will evaluate the urgency of the call and courteously instruct you what to do.

If you are involved in any type of motor vehicle accident (no matter how minor) you must stop and identify yourself to the other driver(s) or property owner(s) involved. If the damage to the other vehicle(s) or property exceeds $1000.00, or if someone is injured (no matter how minor), or if one of the vehicles involved has fled the scene then you must report the accident. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, section 26, you have five business days to file an accident report. Your license can be suspended or revoked if you fail to submit an accident report within this time period.

Safety should be your first priority. If you can do so safely, move your vehicle to a safe location, such as the side of the road. Try not to alter the appearance of the accident scene or alter any damage to your vehicle. Once the police officer arrives on the scene, you will be asked for your driver’s license and registration as well as a series of questions regarding the cause of your accident. Do not try to assess blame or make accusations regarding other drivers or people involved. Just state the facts, and the police officer or your insurance company will make the final determination of fault. You must also complete a Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operators Accident Report. You can obtain a copy of this form at any police department in Massachusetts, at any branch of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles or online at the Registry’s website.

In an effort to provide citizens and insurance companies with the ability to obtain accurate and affordable crash reports as quickly as possible, our crash reports are now available for purchase online. All online requests for crash reports can be made at BuyCrash.com.

BuyCrash.com charges a nominal convenience fee for this service which is added to the cost of the report. Involved parties that do not wish to pay the convenience fee can still come to the police station and pay only the cost of the report.

For those that choose to purchase copies of crash reports online, simply go to BuyCrash.com and click on the state for where the accident happened.

All questions related to BuyCrash.com can be answered by visiting their website or e-mailing them at BuyCrash@appriss.com

To obtain a copy of a police report, you will need to stop by our department and complete a request form. There is a $5.00 fee for copies of police accident reports up to 6 pages and .50 cents for additional pages. Charges for other mailed reports are assessed at $1.00 per page and any person requesting a public records in-hand will pay .50 cents per page. Under the law, our department has ten business days to furnish a copy of a police report to you, although we generally do so faster.

What should I do when I’m going on vacation?
Contact the Salisbury Police Department at 978-465-3121 to inform us of your vacation plans. We will make regular checks of your property, and by filing contact information with us, this will help if a problem arises at your property during your absence.