The Woodsboro Police Department are the primary law enforcement in the fictional small town of Woodsboro, California. Throughout the franchise, there are various officers introduced within the precinct.
Original Woodsboro Massacre (1995-1996)[]
The Woodsboro Police investigated the murder of Maureen Prescott during the summer of 1995 at 34 Elm Street. They question and get statements from 16-year-old Sidney Prescott whom became famous from her testimony.
The Woodsboro Police investigate the murders of Casey Becker and Steven Orth once the Beckers call the police. Sheriff Burke and Dewey Riley began to question students at Woodsboro High School as well as people around the town.
They are called after Sidney’s attack in her own home which then, Deputy Dewey Riley, is in charge. They detain Billy Loomis as he was at the scene and check the phone records linked to her and Casey Becker’s residence. They ultimately trace the records to Neil Prescott's phone. Dewey is assigned to look out for Sidney by Sheriff Burke.
After Sidney is attacked at the school, school is suspended until further notice and a city wide curfew is issued by the Woodsboro Police Department due to the Ghostface attacks.
The police are called again by Sidney at 261 Turner Lane when she was pursued by Ghostface in Dewey’s patrol truck. Police arrive and investigate. They get statements from Sidney, Gale Weathers, Randy Meeks, Dewey and Neil while they investigate the deaths of Tatum Riley, Kenny Brown, Stu Macher and Billy.
Windsor College Murders (1997)[]
Dewey Riley is still a Deputy for the Woodsboro Police, but takes a personal leave of absence to ensure Sidney’s safety at Windsor College as she is the closest thing to a sister since the death of his sister, Tatum, in the original Woodsboro Massacre.
Dewey speaks to the Chief of Police, Lewis Hartley and gives him information that Woodsboro Police obtained previously in 1995-1996 as it is relevant and would assist them in the massacre that is occurring on the college campus.
Dewey makes a call to Randy’s family regarding his murder. He also makes a call to the Woodsboro Police Department to update his file of him having been murdered, but still being a resident of Woodsboro.
Dewey reports information regarding Sidney after the ordeal of Windsor College to the Woodsboro Police Department to update her file which they safely secure when she goes into hiding.
Hollywood Murders (2000)[]
The Woodsboro Police Department is active in keeping Sidney’s records hidden from the public due to the prior incidents according to Dewey whom took leave from Woodsboro Police at the time to help be a technical advisor on Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro.
Detective Mark Kincaid contacts the Woodsboro Police Department regarding the information and pictures of Maureen Prescott as they were left at each crime scene. He has also obtained copies (or the main file) of Sidney’s file from the Woodsboro Police Department located in his office.
Dewey informs Gale the department got a call from a woman with Stab. She claims she wants to get the file on Sidney “for research”. They decline her request as she wouldn’t give her name. A month later, the file room is broken into and it’s implied they were looking for Sidney’s file; only for Dewey to have removed it (possibly once they told him about the call).
Woodsboro Massacre Remake (2011)[]
Dewey is Sheriff by the time of the second Woodsboro murders with Judy Hicks as his deputy.
The Woodsboro Police Department are taking down the pranks of teenagers putting Ghostface masks around town until they get an actual call indicating Ghostface has more victims; Jenny Randall and Marnie Cooper. The police once again investigate the murders.
Dewey places officers Ross Hoss and Anthony Perkins to secure the Roberts household as Sidney, Kate and Jill are deemed prime targets for Ghostface. In a deleted scene, they set up a drill for when Ghostface comes to be interrupted when Kirby arrives at the Roberts household with food. Dewey stays behind to speak to Sidney about old times, and Hicks briefly recalls Sidney as a classmate in high school.
The police are called again after Olivia Morris' murder in which they investigate the Morris household that was stained with blood on the walls of Olivia’s room from her murder.
Dewey gives a speech at the press conference at Woodsboro Community Hospital with officers Hoss and Perkins at his side before they witness Rebecca Walters thrown to her death onto a news van. The police investigate the murder and go up to the spot that is speculated that she was thrown.
Hoss and Perkins horse around on duty to secure the Roberts household and become victims to the Ghostface attacks. Hicks is alerted as she couldn’t get them on the radio, and finds Sidney emotional with her aunt Kate’s blood on her hands. Judy Hicks and her officers investigate all three murders and reported to Riley that Sidney fled the scene.
Dewey goes himself to aid Gale at the Stab-A-Thon located at a barn house on Fort Dylan Road as Ghostface has spotted her in order to foil her plan to record the incriminating events. Riley shoots at the killer whom attempts to kill her. He shouts to the teenagers to get out and then the killer flees as his plans to kill Gale were foiled. Gale and Dewey, and some remaining teenagers that witnessed gave statements to the police.
While Judy Hicks and her officers are investigating Kate Roberts' death at her home, Sidney calls Dewey to go to Kirby Reed’s house at 329 Whispering Lane to stop the Ghostface murders.
The investigation is lead by Dewey and Judy Hicks whom arrive at Kirby’s residence with several other officers. They find Robbie Mercer’s dead body at the front door and other bodies scattered on the main floor. They investigate Trevor Sheldon and Charlie Walker’s dead bodies, however, they find Sidney, Jill and Kirby still alive with whom they get statements from.
They are called again to the hospital by Dewey which they investigate and find out the truth of Jill Roberts being one of the actual Ghostface killers. They get more statements from Sidney, Gale, Dewey and Judy whom had survived Jill’s attempted murder on her.
Woodsboro Legacy Murders (2022)[]
Judy Hicks, former deputy of Dewey Riley, had became Sheriff after Dewey was forced to retire. When the Ghostface attacks happen, she seeks his help due to his experience in them.
The Woodsboro Police Department is called by Tara Carpenter and they arrived to find her severely injured from a Ghostface attack. Judy Hicks is now sheriff and leads the investigation and questions students and faculty at Woodsboro High School.
Judy arranged for Tara to be watched at the hospital as she recovers. When Samantha Carpenter is attacked at the hospital, they investigate the break room to find that Ghostface had fled. Hicks later mentions to Dewey in a deleted scene that they investigated a dead body (Stu Macher’s nephew, Vince Schneider) found near a bar.
Judy and her son, Wes Hicks, are murdered at their residence. A police officer, Deputy Clay, who was put in place to watch Tara was murdered by Ghostface as well as the former sheriff, Dewey, while trying to save Tara and Richie Kirsch. The Woodsboro Police investigate their fellows officers' deaths, Dewey being one of them, at Woodsboro General Hospital.
The Woodsboro Police come again at the end of act three with possibly an acting sheriff since Judy Hicks was murdered to investigate the crime scene at Amber Freeman's residence. The police get statements from Sidney, Gale, Sam, Tara, Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin while they investigate the murders of Liv McKenzie, Amber and Richie.
Appearances[]
Known Members[]
Sheriffs[]
- Sheriff Judy Hicks † (in Scream (2022); formerly)
- Sheriff Dewey Riley † (in Scream 4 (2011); formerly)
- Sheriff Burke (in the original Scream (1996); formerly)
Deputies[]
- Deputy Judy Hicks † (Scream 4; promoted)
- Deputy Anthony Perkins † (Scream 4)
- Deputy Hoss † (Scream 4)
- Deputy Jenkins (Scream 4)
- Deputy Vinson (Scream (2022))
- Deputy Farney (Scream (2022))
- Deputy Clay † (Scream (2022))
- Deputy Keith (Scream (2022)) (Mentioned only; name seen in Judy's favorites)
Deceased Police Staff[]
Deputy Ross Hoss[]
He was murdered in 2011 in the events of Scream 4. While patrolling the Roberts household, Perkins joked and faked a death on duty, He was stabbed deeply in the back by Ghostface (Charlie Walker). His corpse is taken in the patrol car with Perkins a few blocks away after a few more stab wounds to ensure they were dead (done by Charlie).
Deputy Anthony Perkins[]
He was murdered in 2011 in the events of Scream 4. They were patrolling the Roberts household. Shortly after he successfully pranked his fellow officer Hoss, he was murdered in the front seat of the patrol car. He first witnessed Hoss get stabbed in the back, and moments later, he was stabbed in the forehead by Ghostface (Charlie).
Deputy Clay[]
He was murdered in 2022 in the events of Scream (2022). He was assigned to watch over Tara Carpenter at the hospital. When Tara was trying to escape the killer, she found him with his throat slit (done by Amber Freeman) to her horror.
Sheriff Judy Hicks[]
She survived the events of Scream 4, but was murdered in 2022. She was rushing home to save her son from Ghostface. Before she could reach the front door, Ghostface (Amber) intercepts her with a stab to her stomach. In broad daylight, she finishes her until her death on her walkway. Later, her son Wes Hicks was killed by Ghostface (Richie Kirsch).
Former Sheriff Dewey Riley[]
Dewey survived the events of the first four massacres, but was murdered in 2022. He retired in Woodsboro into a trailer home. When he decided to help Samantha Carpenter to figure out the murder spree, he was murdered trying to kill the killer (Amber).
Trivia[]
- Sheriff Burke retired before the events of Scream 4 and Dewey Riley is promoted as the new Sheriff.
- Sheriff Riley (Dewey) retires after the events of Scream 4 and Judy Hicks is promoted to Sheriff.
- Dewey should have received his pension due to being on the force for over 26 years (continuity error), as he was an officer before the events of Scream (1996), as he was able to step down from the sheriff role and retire.