New York City Arrest Information

Initially, a New York City arrest, in both civil and criminal matters, was entirely under the supervision of the New York City Sheriff’s Office. After a warrant was issued against an individual, it was the duty of the sheriff and his or her staff to arrest and detain the accused until the arraignment.

This practice, which began in 1626, continued until the establishment of the New York City Police Department in 1845. This department took over the responsibility of supervising arrests involving criminal matters in 1898. After modifications were done to the system, the sheriff’s office became the law enforcement unit involving civil matters and is still now part of the New York City Department of Finance. It has jurisdiction to conduct arrests in New York City in civil and small claims cases, cases involving child support, evictions, and such others.

To know more about the services of the sheriff’s office, please visit http://www.nyc.http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/gov/html/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/dof/html/services/services_enforcement_executions.shtml.

The New York City Police Department

The New York City Police Department is the body responsible for conducting the New York City arrests, with regard to criminal charges. If a judge at a court of law finds that there is ‘probable cause’ that a crime has been committed and a particular individual(s) has committed the crime, he or she issues a warrant against the accused.

A warrant can also be issued by the grand jury if it finds that an individual must be arrested and detained with regard to a particular crime.

It is the responsibility of the New York City Police Department to execute these warrants and arrest and detain the individual(s) against whom the warrant has been issued. An officer working for the New York City Police Department can also arrest an individual from the scene of the alleged crime. For this, no previous arrest warrant is necessary.

Contact details of the New York City Police Department can be found at http://www.nyc.http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/gov/html/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/nypd/html/home/contact_information.shtml.

In case of emergencies, you can call 911 or your local precinct number. In case of other queries, you can check out the relevant contact details from the aforementioned webpage. It lists all the addresses and contact information of the precincts in the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.

Types of Warrants

Two types of warrants are issued in the New York City. These are arrest warrants and bench warrants.

Arrest warrants are issued on the basis of sworn and signed ‘affidavits’, revealing the ‘probable cause’.

Bench warrants are issued by a court of law in cases where an individual is held for contempt of court. Bench warrants are usually issued when an individual does not show up at the time and date of a scheduled court hearing.

These warrants authorize the law enforcement department to arrest the accused on sight. New York City arrest and bench warrants do not have an expiration date and would only be considered void with the death of the defendant or with a proper court proceeding.

You can check whether there is a warrant issued against your name at the New York City Warrant Section's Telephone Inquiry Unit at (718) 217-8484.

New York City Arrest Records

After an arrest is conducted, the individual is detained in any of the jail facilities operated by the New York City Department of Corrections. The usual time period between an arrest and an arraignment in New York City is 24 hours. After the completion of 24 hours after arrest, the accused is presented in court for the arraignment.

If you want to know whether an individual is in jail custody, you can check search information at http://a072-web.nyc.gov/inmatelookup/. For this, you need to know either the NYSID, the book and case number, or the name, first or last, and the date of birth, or age, of the individual. The search reveals all matching results and details like the name, aliases, date of birth, book and case, NYSID, discharge date (if applicable), current facility, next court date, and bail and bond information.

The New York City arrest records are not available for public use. Only the law enforcement agencies and judicial units of New York City and the state and federal authorities can access the arrest records of the city.

The Criminal Records Section of the New York City Police Department is responsible for preserving and maintaining all arrest records. If you are an authorized law enforcement or government official, you can contact the Records Section and check for the records.

Criminal records related to the verification of a crime report or lost property is, however, available to the public. This is done according to the federal and state laws and the rules of the police department. Crime victims are also entitled to avail these criminal records reports, including the arrest records of New York City.

If you wish to verify a crime report or a lost property report, you can contact the Records Inquiry Division of New York City, Monday through Friday, between 8.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.

The form for the verification is available from your local police precinct, a transit district, or a housing police service area. You can also do the verification online. The form is available at http://www.nyc.http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/record_inquiries/Lost_Property_Verification.pdf. You need to download and print it in order to use it. This form needs to be filled out and submitted to the following address:

New York City Police Department
Criminal Records Section (Verification Unit)
1 Police Plaza
Room 300
New York, NY 10038

For processing the verification request, a nominal fee is charged by the New York City Police Department. The service fee for the same is $15.00. Only a victim of crime can avail this information for free. The completed form must be accompanied with the service fee and a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

As soon as your verification records request is processed you would get the verification via mail.

New York City arrest records from the sheriff’s office are also not accessible for the general public. These records include information about arrests pertaining to civil matters. The legal and judicial authorities, however, can access these records.