Arrest Report Information

An arrest report contains information like the detailed physical description of the arrested person, his place and date of birth, his past and present addresses, information on the crime committed, and details of his conviction. Arrest reports are frequently used by the government, law enforcement agencies, employees, and even the common man to run background checks on dubious individuals.

In fact, an arrest report is the best way to ensure that you know all about a casual acquaintance before you let him enter your life and gain access to your property and belongings. You may also need to look up arrest reports to check if there are any outstanding warrants in your name.

Public Arrest Reports

For these reasons, US law requires that all arrest reports be hosted on the public domain and thus be made available to the public. In case of most US states, the Department of Correctional Services has the onus of maintaining, supervising, and updating arrest report information. You may obtain this information at their official web sites or visit the respective Departmental Office.

It is worth mentioning here that arrest reports of juveniles are not made public. So also are the reports of those arrest cases that have been sealed by the court or records that have been expunged.

Arrest reports are now easily accessible and as per the dictates of the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act, you may also obtain copies of these records although you cannot use them for commercial purposes.

Accessing Arrest Reports

The Internet is teeming with public records sites hosting arrest reports. Some such sites are free while some others require you to register by paying a certain subscription fee. Most claim to be authentic and some also claim collaboration with governmental agencies. It is a good idea to steer clear of these sites and rely on a government web site or a site hosted by a government law enforcement body to obtain arrest reports.

The state government web site or the official web site of the County Sheriff’s Office lists arrest reports and most of the times these can be accessed for free. You may also visit your county Sheriff’s Office in person to request access to arrest report information.

The Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division under the aegis of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintains and regularly updates a central repository of criminal justice information. Their web site http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/cjis.htm stocks a wealth of information on arrest reports from the various US states. While searching for information here, do keep in mind that these reports are solely based on the details provided by the state law enforcement agencies.

The arrest report information at the CJIS site can also be accessed by a subject of an identification record. For this, you will have to submit a request in writing addressing the CJIS. Also provide some form of an identity proof like the name of the individual, the place and date of birth, and a set of fingerprint records along with the request. Dispatch this request or submit it along with an authorized check or money order amounting to USD 18 at FBI’s CJIS Division, Attn: SCU, Mod D-2, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306.

An arrest report certainly goes a long way in ensuring your safety from free or released criminals.

Specific Types of Arrests:

Police Arrests

Felony Arrest

Criminal Arrest