Conducting a Free Arrest Record Search

Conducting a background check has become absolutely necessary in today’s day and age. As a prospective employer or a business partner you may be interested in checking out the credentials of a person you don’t know much about. Taking adequate precautions for yourself as well as your loved ones becomes mandatory particularly when you observe the crime rate escalating sharply all across the United States of America.

Almost all public records are free of charge and you can access most of the records by accessing the official resource of the judicial system of the United States. Accessing a free arrest record is particularly helpful in judging the credibility of the individual in question. There are quite a number of websites dedicated to the search of criminal violations and finding a free arrest record will help you uncover the entire details of the suspected offender no matter what the consequences are.

All arrests are recorded by the local law enforcement agencies and you will be able to get information even if the arrested individual was let off without any incarceration. Acquittals, dismissals or any other outcome are recorded diligently and you are certain to form an idea about the concerned person once you go through his/her free arrest record.

Accessing Free Arrest Records:

Since most of the arrests are made by the local law enforcement agencies operating in the immediate vicinity of the occurrence of the crime, the records can be requested by contacting the local police departments or the Sheriff’s office of the area. This is an ideal source for finding out all about an offender arrested for minor traffic infractions or for petty misdemeanor charges. Several state police departments, the Illinois Police (http://www.isp.state.il.us), for instance, maintain a repository of the arrest records which can be viewed by the public for free. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety (http://www.dps.state.la.us) also lets its residents access the arrest records. The Internet resource of the New Jersey State Police (http://www.njsp.org) will enable you to access criminal records as well as arrest information.

Accessing the website of the Federal Bureau of Prisons is yet another effective way of conducting a free arrest record search. It is possible to look up the inmates held for violation of federal laws from this resource. A number of pre-trial and yet to be sentenced arrested offenders for the U.S. Marshall service as well as the Naturalization and Immigration Service arrest records can be viewed by using this system.

The arrested felons who have been incarcerated in the District of Columbia can also be searched by logging in to the site at http://www.bop.gov/inmate_locator . Free arrest records for persons who have never been incarcerated on account of being dismissed or detained for a trial can be obtained by conducting an appropriate search through the Bureau’s database. The records of persons arrested for committing civil offenses can also be viewed by accessing the system online.

Conducting a search by name will return results based on exact matches and searching through the database by register number or DCDC or the FBI number will be as effective. The central office of the Bureau of Prisons is located at 320 First St., NW, Washington, DC  20534  and can be contacted Monday through Friday 8 A.M. to 5 P.M.,  Eastern Time.

Information included in Arrest Records:

The name and the address along with a physical description of a person can usually be obtained by accessing the arrest record of an individual. The present address or the last known address of a person is almost always included in the records too. The detail of each charge whether it is a felony, misdemeanor, traffic law violation or disobedience of a municipal law is available easily from the arrest records.

The outcome of the arrest is required to be recorded as well and obtaining a copy of your own arrest record can help you to prove your innocence particularly if your prospective employer requests you to furnish it. The bail or bond amount is provided with the record as is the date of the arrest. The name of the arresting officer is yet another requisite that needs to be maintained by the law enforcement agencies of the concerned state.