Van Buren County Arrest Records

Van Buren County arrest records are legal documents that record all instances of an individual being apprehended and taken into custody by law enforcement officers or peacekeepers suspected of committing a crime. When an officer arrests a person, the arrestee is taken to the Van Buren County jail, where they are booked into the jail's database. During booking, certain information, such as the circumstances of the arrest and full name, is collected from them, making up their arrest record.

The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office and the Van Buren Township Police Department are the county's custodians of arrest records. You can obtain arrest records by mail, phone, or in person. Arrest records are part of the more comprehensive criminal records, so they may be available at the county courthouse along with other Van Buren County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Van Buren County?

Yes. According to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), arrest records, like all other records created by public bodies, are classified as public records. These records must be made available to the public for inspection and copying. Although they are public records, not all information in the records is available to the public. Information like trade secrets, witness information, victim information, attorney-client communication, passwords, and social security numbers are restricted to protect the interests of the parties involved in the case. To be eligible to view these exempted records, a person may need to obtain a court order.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

A public Van Buren County arrest record typically contains the following information:

• Full name of the arrestee
• Details of the arrest (arrest date, time, location
• Arresting agency
• Description of offenses
• Booking details (booking number)
• Bail information
• Personal information (age, race, age)
• Photograph or mugshot
• Name of badge number of arresting officer
• Name of the arrested individual.

Van Buren County Crime Rate

The Michigan Incident Crime Reporting (MICR) published its 2022 Offenses by County and City/Township report, and according to it, Van Buren County experienced 5824 offenses in 2022. These offenses consisted of 1,134 indexed crimes and 4,690 non-indexed crimes. The most popular indexed crimes included larceny (229), aggravated assault (183), retail fraud theft (178), and burglary (130).

Compared to the 2021 Offenses by County and City/Township, the total crime rate decreased, as there were 6317 total offenses in 2021. Popular indexed crimes also changed, such as larceny with 317 offenses (-27.8%), aggravated assault with 177 offenses (+3.4%), Retail Fraud theft with 142 offenses (+25.4%), and Burglary with 178 offenses (-27%).

Van Buren County Arrest Statistics

According to the 2022 Arrests by County and City/Township report published in the Michigan Incident Crime Reporting (MICR), Van Buren County had 2076 total arrests. Its arrest total consisted of 279 indexed crimes and 1797 non-index crimes. The most popular arrestable offenses included Retail Fraud Theft with 90 offenses, Aggravated/Felonious Assault with 81 offenses, and Burglary Forced Entry with 26 offenses. Compared to the 2021 Arrests by County and City/Township report, whose total arrest was 1851, there exists a 12.2% increase in the county's arrest rate.

Find Van Buren County Arrest Records

Persons interested in finding Van Buren County arrest records can make requests to or contact the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office. To obtain a record, the requester first fills and submits a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request form describing the sought record. This FOIA request form can be filled out electronically or printed and mailed to the Sheriff's Office. It costs $0.10 to make a copy of a record per page. The processing time for a FOIA request is typically five days. Contact the Sheriff's office at:

Van Buren County Sheriff's Office
205 South Kalamazoo Street
Paw Paw, MI 49079
Phone: (269) 657-2171

Police departments in the county, such as the Van Buren Township Police Department, provide copies of arrest records through their records department. Requesters fill out a Van Buren Township FOIA request form and submit it by fax or email to the records department. Contact the Van Buren Township Police Department at:

Van Buren Township Police Department
46425 Tyler Road
Van Buren Twp., MI 48111
Phone: (7(340) 699-8900
Fax: (734) 699-6469
Email: tharman@vanburen-mi.org

On a state level, resources for obtaining arrest records also include the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) maintained by the Michigan State Police and Criminal History Record Internet Subscription Service (CHRISS). ICHAT costs $10 per search. Contact the Michigan State Police at:

Michigan State Police
7150 Harris Drive
Dimondale, Michigan 48821
P.O. Box 30634
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Phone: (517) 332-2521

Free Arrest Record Search in Van Buren County

To conduct a Free Arrest Record Search in Van Buren County, interested individuals can contact the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, which is the official custodian of arrest records. Local police departments within the county can also be contacted for arrest records, as they have records of arrests that occurred within their jurisdiction. Although searching may be free, fees may apply to make copies of or certify these records.

Third-party websites and databases are non-government-owned lookup resources that can be used to conduct free basic arrest records searches. They offer a single repository with arrest records of various counties, which speeds up record lookups. Records from third-party databases may not be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as records obtained from the official records custodians.

Get Van Buren County Criminal Records

The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office creates and manages criminal records within the county. Individuals who want to get criminal records on the county level can utilize the Inmate Roster available through their website, contact the office by phone, or visit the office in person to obtain jail inmate information.

The Michigan State Police maintains the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT), the online state repository for getting state-level public criminal history records. It is a name-based background check service. Individuals requesting criminal records from this repository are required to log into the platform and pay $10 per search to perform a background check.

The Criminal Justice Information Center (CJIC) records all arrests, charges, and convictions within the state and can also be contacted to get criminal records in person. They also have a web service called Criminal History Record Internet Subscription Service (CHRISS) which enables users to conduct background checks and get results in real-time. Users are also required to log into the platform.

Van Buren County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Van Buren Arrest records are official documents created by law enforcement officers that detail all instances in which a person was taken into custody under suspicion of committing a crime. They contain details such as the charges and personal information of the arrestee, details of the arrestee, the arresting agency, and the officer but do not include the verdict of the case.

Van Buren Criminal records are comprehensive documents that detail a person's criminal history and journey through the criminal justice system. Various agencies, from law enforcement agencies to courts, create them in the criminal justice system. They contain details such as arrest records, charges, court proceedings, convictions, and sentencing information.

The distinction between criminal records and arrest records is that while criminal records can be used as a determinant of guilt, arrest records can not. Arrest records state information about an arrest but not its outcome. On the other hand, criminal records detail the entire criminal process, including the case's final disposition.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. An arrest typically stays on an individual's record forever unless it is expunged. In Michigan, eligible individuals who have satisfied the required waiting period for their crime received automatic expunctions through the Michigan Conviction Set Aside Program. Some crimes however require an application for expunction before the record is removed from public view. No matter how much time passes, and whether the individual was declared guilty or not, the arrest will stay on their record and will be available during background checks if not expunged.

Expunge Van Buren County Arrest Records

Expunction is the legal removal of an arrest or charge from an individual's criminal history. Expunged records are not destroyed in Michigan but are instead removed from public view. Certain authorized agencies, however, are exempt from the restrictions of an expunged record. Under certain circumstances, law enforcement agencies, courts, and government agencies can access confidential expunged records using fingerprint-based background checks. Per MCL 780.622, expunged records do not show up in background searches by landlords and employers as the conviction legally ceases to exist.

The Michigan Clean Slate law grants automatic expunction (also called a "set aside") to individuals with eligible conviction records without an application. This program checks information on the criminal history record database and ensures the individuals are qualified and have completed the required waiting period for their offense. Not all crimes are eligible for expunction, even with an application. Convictions ineligible for expunction include the following:

• Attempts to commit felonies
• Sexual offenses
• Domestic violence
• Convictions related to human trafficking
• Traffic offenses
• Conviction related to terrorism.

Before applying for expunction, individuals must fulfill the required waiting period required for their charge. The waiting period is as follows:

• Seven years for multiple felonies
• Five years for one felony
• Five years for serious misdemeanors
• Three years for non-serious or non-assaultive misdemeanors.

The steps an individual can take to get their record expunged in Van Buren County are as follows:

• Get a certified copy of your conviction record from the Van Buren County Clerk. It costs $1 for the record with an additional $10 for its certification
• Ensure eligibility of the crime for expunction before application
• Fill out the appropriate Application to Set Aside Form. Each offense to be expunged requires its form
• Sign the application in front of a notary public
• Apply to the court where the judgment occurred or the Van Buren County Clerk's Office. Five copies of each application are needed to be filed in total
• Get a court hearing date if applicable
• Mail a copy of the application to the Van Buren County Prosecuting Attorney and the Office of the Attorney General
• Attend the hearing, and if successful, the court sends the Michigan State Police a copy of the Order On Application to Set Aside Conviction
• Send a signed copy of the order to The Michigan Department of Corrections Offender Tracking and Information System (OTIS) for the record to be cleared.
• If the application for a set aside is denied the individual waits three years before reapplying.

Van Buren County Arrest Warrants

A Van Buren County Arrest Warrant authorizes police officers and other law enforcement officers to arrest any citizen suspected or caught committing a crime. For a warrant to be issued, the issuing judge has to believe that probable cause is that the accused individual committed the offense. Arrest warrants are also issued in Michigan when an individual fails to respond to a court summons, violates the terms of their probation, or fails to pay child support.

For a law enforcement officer to obtain an arrest warrant, they have to present an affidavit and evidence to the court that the named individual committed the crime without reasonable doubt. A judge who reviews the document and is convinced that the evidence establishes probable cause signs off on the warrant and it is issued for the apprehension of the named individual. The execution of arrest warrants is governed by Michigan Court Rules (MRE 6.102).

An arrest warrant typically contains the name of the person to be arrested (or information sufficient enough to identify them), details of the alleged crime, supporting laws and statutes backing the arrest, the Signature of the issuing judge, and the jurisdiction of the warrant. It is important to note that an arrest warrant is not an establishment of guilt. It is only an accusation by a law enforcement officer that a person committed an offense.

Van Buren County Arrest Warrant Search

Interested individuals can contact the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office by phone or in-person to conduct a Van Buren County Arrest Warrant Search. For in-person inmate lookups, proper identification and sufficient information should be provided about the individual being inquired about. The contact information of the Sheriff's office is as follows:

Van Buren County Sheriff
205 S Kalamazoo Street
Paw Paw, MI 49079-1429
Phone: (269) 657-2006
Fax: (269) 657-5161

To find active warrants within the local area, individuals can also contact their local police department. The contact address for the police department is as follows:

Van Buren Township Police Department
46425 Tyler Road
Belleville, MI 48111
Phone: (734) 699-8930 (Non-Emergency)
Email: vbtpolice@vanburen-mi.org.

Do Van Buren County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. In Van Buren County, Michigan, arrest warrants do not expire, no matter how much time has passed. They remain active until the court recalls the warrant or the individual named on it dies, is arrested, or appears in court. Despite the indefinite validity of arrest warrants, some factors can delay or suspend their execution. These factors include the recall of the warrant, cancellation or invalidation of the warrant by a judge, and the resolution or dismissal of the case.