Kalamazoo County arrest records are official files documenting arrest-related events. Law enforcement agencies typically generate these records following an arrest. An arrest may be conducted if there is sufficient evidence of the individual's involvement in a crime. Alternatively, officers may arrest individuals to prevent potential crimes from occurring.
Record seekers must contact local law enforcement agencies to view or obtain copies of the records. For instance, theKalamazoo County Sheriff's Office Records Sectionis the custodian of police reports generated within the county.
Kalamazoo County arrest records are also available in public files that contain related information. For example,Kalamazoo County court recordsmay include arrest information. You can also obtain arrest information from inmate records.
Are Arrest Records Public in Kalamazoo County?
Kalamazoo County arrest records are generally classified as public documents. TheMichigan Freedom of Information Actempowers public members to request, view, or obtain copies of arrest records. In addition, it assigns specific government agencies to serve as custodians of public documents. Thus, record seekers must direct their records requests to these agencies.
State law also restricts certain files and documents from being accessed by the public. The records in question may contain information that will violate a record subject's personal or security rights. Kalamazoo County arrest records that contain crime victims’ data are not public documents. Under state laws, the following arrest records are not public documents:
- Documents that may interfere with law enforcement proceedings
- Information that could affect a person's right to a fair adjudication or trial
- Arrest documents that may endanger the lives of law enforcement officers.
Note:Under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, you must send a FOIA request to custodian agencies to obtain arrest information. Record seekers may utilize a pre-filled request form accessible on some agencies’ websites. In the absence of such forms, record seekers must create a request letter that contains these details:
- The record seeker's complete name and address
- The record subject's name and other required physical identifiers
- Description of the requested document
What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?
In Kalamazoo County, public arrest records may include information on the following:
- Arrestee’s name, age, address, and other physical attributes
- Booking history, including booking date, bond type amount, bail amount, and housing facility
- Charge description
- Arresting agency
- Offense date
- Disposition date
Kalamazoo County Crime Rate
TheMichigan State Police’sCriminal Justice Information Center(CJIS) maintains crime statistics reports for the state counties. According to the 2022 report, Kalamazoo County recorded 25,459 index and non-index crimes, with a total crime rate of 10,022 index crimes and 15,437 non-index crimes. Furthermore, the report revealed that Larceny and retail fraud theft were the most recurring crimes, at 2,060 and 1,613, respectively.
Kalamazoo County Arrest Statistics
According to the CJIS arrest report in 2022, Kalamazoo County’s law enforcement agencies documented 4,657 arrests. In contrast, the Depart
Touch on arrest information-based statistics provided by local law enforcement sources or the FBI UCR arrest statistics. Please note that the focus should be onarrest and incarceration statistics, not general crime statistics like the preceding header.
Find Kalamazoo County Arrest Records
Record seekers can find and obtain arrest information in inmate records. That said, inmate records are under the purview of state and local-level agencies. The agencies may maintain the records online or offline. For instance, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department keeps anonline inmate inquiry. To obtain inmate information, record seekers must input one or these search terms:
- Offender's name
- Subject number
- Booking number
- Housing facility
At the state level, theMichigan Department of Correctionsoffers online access to inmate records through theOffender Tracking Information System (OTIS). Record seekers must input the required information on the portal to find inmate records.
TheFederal Bureau of Prisonsis another resource for finding Kalamazoo arrest records. Interested parties may use the agency's inmate search database for arrest information.
Police reports may also contain arrest information. The county sheriff's department allows mail-in requests for the reports. To obtain Kalamazoo arrest records, contact the Record Section at (269) 385-6191. Next, send a written request form via mail to:
Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office
1500 Lamont Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
Attention: Records Section
The written request must contain information related to the arrest event. The required information may include the arrestee's name, arrest date and location, and the charge description.
Free Arrest Record Search in Kalamazoo County
Government agencies provide free access to Kalamazoo County arrest records. Record seekers can find free arrest records at these agencies:
- TheKalamazoo County Sheriff's inmate inquiry portal
- TheMDOC’s Offender Tracking Information System
- TheFederal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator
Third-party search sites are also alternative resources for free arrest records in Kalamazoo County. These sites may feature arrest information in the form of inmate or criminal records.
Get Kalamazoo County Criminal Records
Criminal records are official files that contain an individual's criminal conviction history. The Michigan State Police, via the Criminal Justice Center, maintains and enables access to criminal records. Furthermore, the agency allows requesters to conduct name- or fingerprint-based criminal background checks.
Record seekers must use the agency'siChat search toolto conduct name-based searches for Kalamazoo County criminal records. To obtain criminal records through fingerprint checks, record seekers must follow these steps:
- Get fingerprinted at a local law enforcement agency
- Michigan residents must request to be fingerprinted on aRI-008 card. On the other hand, out-of-state residents must use theFD-258 fingerprint card.
- Next, fill out the other required sections on the fingerprint card
- Note: non-residents must include a cover letter stating the reason for submitting the fingerprint card. The applicant must also include an email address, return address, or phone number
- Attach a $30 processing fee in the form of a check or money order. Furthermore, it should be made payable to the State of Michigan.
- Send the completed fingerprint card, fee, and other required documents to:
Michigan State Police
CJIC
P.O. Box 30266
Lansing, Michigan 48909-7766
Kalamazoo County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records
In Kalamazoo County, arrest records are different from criminal records. While both records contain crime-related data, they are different in the following aspects:
Content Creation Process
Law enforcement agencies create arrest records by compiling arrest-related data like the arrestee’s name, booking date, charge description, and the arresting agency’s name. In contrast, criminal records are a compilation of arrest data, inmate information, and court records.
Custodial Agency
Law enforcement agencies are the primary custodians of arrest records. The agencies may maintain the records as police or incident reports. However, Kalamazoo County criminal records are under the purview of the state’s police department.
How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?
In Kalamazoo County, arrest records will stay on record unless they are expunged or sealed. The Michigan State Police automatically expunge less severe misdemeanor arrest charges after a fixed waiting period.
Expunge Kalamazoo County Arrest Records
You can expunge Kalamazoo County arrest records by filing a petition with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, the state police, and the court that handled the case.
Who is eligible to expunge Kalamazoo County arrest records?
PerMCL Section 780.621, you are eligible to expunge Kalamazoo arrest records if:
- You were convicted of one or two criminal offenses
- The arrest charges were dismissed or did not result in a conviction
- You do not have more than one felony conviction for the same offense that carries a 10-year sentence
- You were convicted of violating sections 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.448, 750.449, and 750.450, and sections 448, 449, or 450 of the Michigan penal code.
How can I expunge arrest records in Kalamazoo County?
You can expunge Kalamazoo County arrest records through these steps:
- Find your arrest information on theMichigan State Police’s iChat search portal. Dismissed arrest charges are eligible for automatic expunction. If the record is yet to be expunged, you can reach out to the state police via mail atMSP-CRD-CSAAUTOMATIC@michigan.gov
- For arrest charges that result in a conviction, you must get a copy of your criminal record from the state police
- Next, request and obtain a copy of the conviction record from the court that handled the case
- Get fingerprinted at the local law enforcement agency.
- Create copies of the documents and send them to the following entities:
- Michigan Attorney General's Office
- Michigan State Police
- The court that handled the case
- Kalamazoo County's prosecuting agency
- For documents sent to the MSP, you must include a $50 processing fee as a check or money order payable to the State of Michigan. Send the documents to the agencies at these addresses:
Michigan State Police - CJIC
P.O. Box 30266
Lansing, Michigan 48909-7766.
Kalamazoo County’s Office of the Prosecuting Attorney
330 Eleanor Street
Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Phone: (269) 383-8900
Fax: (269) 383-0475
Department of the Michigan Attorney General Criminal Trials and Appeals Division
G. Mennen Williams Building
525 West Ottawa Street
P.O. Box 30217
Lansing, MI 48909
- Upon receiving the documents, the court will set a hearing date to review the case and listen to objections from concerned agencies.
- The court will review the objections and make a judgment. Next, after approving the petition for expungement, the judge will sign an expungement order.
- Create a copy of the court order and leave it with the clerk. The clerk will, in turn, send the order to all agencies holding the criminal record.
Kalamazoo County Arrest Warrants
In Kalamazoo County, court judges or magistrates will issue arrest warrants to authorize the arrest of persons suspected of committing a crime. That said, the court will only issue arrest warrants upon receiving a complaint or affidavit from law enforcement officers.
Arrest warrants in Kalamazoo County may include the following information:
- The suspected offender's name and physical-identifying features
- The criminal charges
- The arresting agency's name and address
- Court official's name and signature
Kalamazoo County Arrest Warrant Search
Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office, via the Warrants Section, maintains records of all warrants issued within the county. Record seekers can access this information by visiting the agency at:
Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office
1500 Lamont
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
Phone: (269) 383-8821
Do Kalamazoo County Arrest Warrants Expire?
Kalamazoo County arrest warrants do not expire. Instead, they remain active until the offender is arrested or the court nullifies the directive. Offenders must visit the sheriff's office to resolve outstanding warrants.
