Garland County Arrest Records

Law enforcement officials in Garland County, Arkansas, are legally authorized to arrest individuals who have committed or are suspected of committing a crime. They are permitted to do so under Arkansas Code §§ 16-81-101, which governs arrests in Arkansas. Arrest records document such arrests generated by arresting agencies and the local judiciary.

Crimes in Garland County, Arkansas, are generally classified as misdemeanors and felonies based on the severity of the crime and its punishment. Offenders in Garland County are usually taken to local detention facilities such as the Garland County Jail, operated by the Sheriff's Department. At the jail, the offender will be processed, booked, and prepared for arraignment. The arraignment takes place before a judge in court, and the judge will decide, based on the details of the case, if the offender can be held in jail or released on bail.

Arrest records are maintained by law enforcement and are part of an individual's record. They can be obtained as public records from the appropriate custodian. Garland County arrest records are also available as part of other records, such as Garland County Court records maintained by the county judiciary.

Are Arrest Records Public in Garland County?

Garland County arrest records are classified as public records under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. These records are available for request by the general public and government agencies via request from the appropriate custodian.

While arrest records in general are considered public records, public record law prohibits some types of information from public access.

Listed below are some examples of information that are exempted from public disclosure by Arkansas law.

• Any personal information on the record the disclosure of which would be an invasion of privacy
• Any information sealed or expunged by a court order
• Arrest records of minors or juveniles
• Records under privilege such as doctor-patient or attorney-client privilege
• Records with information from information not yet disclosed by law enforcement

Interested parties may still be able to request restricted records from their custodian. For example, law enforcement and government agencies may still be able to request restricted records. The public may also acquire these records via a court order or a partial record with restricted parts removed or redacted.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In Garland County, an arrest record usually contains information about the offender and details about the crime that led to the arrest. It may also include booking information and some arraignment and court case information.

Although the specific information may differ by jurisdiction, an arrest record will usually contain the following information.

• The arrested person’s details, including name, age, gender, and physical description
• Information from the booking process, including booking date, booking number, and biometrics collected, such as photographs and fingerprints
• Details of crime that led to the arrest
• Details of the arrest, including arresting agency, arresting officer, and events of the arrest
• Any bond information, such as the amount and any other conditions

Garland County Crime Rate

Crime statistics obtained from local law enforcement in Garland County are collated as part of the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program. The statistics reported by the Garland County Sheriff for 2018 and 2019 showed the following trends. Rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and larceny all fell by 28.6%, 42.8%, 18.8%, and 14% respectively. There was also a 20.7% fall in overall violent crime. The only recorded rise was a 3.6% rise in motor vehicle thefts. Crimes such as murder and arson had no reported cases over the two years, and the most popular crime reported was property crime, with 1591 cases reported in 2018.

Garland County Arrest Statistics

The following data are arrest statistics reported by local law enforcement in Garland County, including the Garland County Sheriff and Hot Springs Police Department for 2023. According to the data, there were a total of 444 suspects arrested in the county for various crimes. The total number of arrests includes the following. Four suspects were arrested for murder, 2 for kidnapping, 3 for rape, 137 for aggravated assault, 233 for simple assault, and 64 for intimidation.

Find Garland County Arrest Records

The Garland County Sheriff's Department serves as the repository for county-wide arrest records. They are the main arresting agency, and in many cases, offenders arrested will be held in the county detention center. Arrest records and inmate information can be requested by visiting the Garland County Sheriff's Department at:

Garland County Sheriff's Department
525 Ouachita Avenue
Hot Springs, AR 71901
Phone: (501) 622-3660

Inmate records can also be obtained from the Garland County Detention Center, where the arrested are held.

Garland County Detention Center
3564 Albert Pike Road
Hot Springs, AR 71913
Phone: (501) 651-7804

Interested parties may call before their request to ascertain the availability of records and the request procedures. The Garland County Sheriff's website also provides an online Inmate Roster where visitors can look up inmate records such as mugshots, bail amount, charges, and time served.

Inmate records on a larger scale can be obtained from the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Visitors to the department’s website can use the Inmate Search tool to look up records of inmates housed in facilities all over the state.

Free Arrest Record Search in Garland County

Record seekers may obtain free arrest records by contacting the Garland County Sheriff's Department or the Garland County Detention Center. It may be possible to call these agencies and receive basic information on the phone or arrange a visit to view records in person.

However, it should be noted that acquiring any physical copies will usually require copy fees. Free information is also available through online resources such as the Garland County Inmate Roster or the Arkansas DOC Inmate Search tool.

Third-party record websites may also provide record seekers with some options for looking up arrest records for free. Record seekers will need to provide information about the subject to facilitate an online search on the website. It should be noted that as most of these sites have no government affiliation their records may not be very accurate or complete.

Get Garland County Criminal Records

Garland County criminal records are records of an individual’s criminal history within the county. This will include all the person’s arrests, court information, and incarceration details.

These records may be available from several government agencies, including local and state law enforcement and judiciary.

In Garland County, record seekers may be able to obtain criminal records from the Garland County Sheriff's Department. Record requests may be made either by visiting the office in person or mailing a written request for criminal records to the office. It may be prudent to call ahead to inquire about the availability of Garland County criminal history records at (501) 622-3660. Requests can be made directly to the office at:

Garland County Sheriff's Department
525 Ouachita Avenue
Hot Springs, AR 71901

A full statewide criminal background check can be obtained from the Arkansas State Police. The state police allows record seekers to obtain both personal records and criminal history checks for another party. However, when requesting another person’s record, they will need to provide written consent from the subject of the record.

Criminal background checks can be made by mailing the correct Application Form to the state police at:

Arkansas State Police, ID Bureau
1 State Police Plaza Drive
Little Rock, AR 72209

Included in the mail should be the fee of $25 per request in a check or money order made payable to the Arkansas State Police. Requests from the state police can also be made online using the Official State of Arkansas Online Criminal Background Check System. Inquiries can be made by calling the Arkansas State Police ID Bureau at (501) 618-8500.

As criminal records are generally public records record seekers may be able to obtain them from other government agencies such as the Garland County Office and the Garland County Circuit Clerk. These offices serve as repositories of public records and records may be searched using public terminals at their office or the online Web Portal.

The online Court case/Judgement Lookup search tool maintained by the Arkansas Judiciary also provides another option to look up criminal records for any cases that may have gone to trial.

Garland County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Criminal records and arrest records for Garland County detail an individual’s dealings with law enforcement and legal proceedings. The difference between these records is the extensiveness of the information they cover. While arrest records only deal with an individual’s arrests, a full criminal record extends to the person’s full criminal history.

Arrest records generally only include information generated during an arrest. They usually contain information collected during the subject's booking and processing, including the subject’s details, physical descriptions, charges against them, and bond information.

Conversely, a person’s criminal history record will contain details of all their interactions with law enforcement. This will include arrest records, bookings, court case details, case dispositions, and verdicts, and incarceration and prison records. It is a lot more comprehensive than arrest records and contains different documents.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An arrest in Arkansas will usually stay on a person’s record indefinitely unless steps are taken to remove it. Arkansas laws allow citizens to remove arrests and other court records from their records. This process is referred to as sealing or expungement of records. If the process is successful, the arrest will be classified as confidential and cease appearing on the individual’s record.

Expunge Garland County Arrest Records

Expungement is a process by which an individual’s court and law enforcement records are removed from public access. The records may not be physically destroyed, but they will be sealed under court order and treated as confidential records. Title 16, Chapter 90, Subchapter 9 of the Arkansas Code covers the expungement or sealing of records and details eligibility, process, and effects of expungement.

To qualify for expungement, applicants must meet the following criteria.

• They must have had no prior felony convictions
• They must have been sentenced under a statute that permits expungement
• They must have completed all the terms and conditions of any supervision or probation periods
• Sexual offenders whose victims were minors do NOT qualify for expungement
• They must have pleaded guilty or no contests to the offense in question to qualify

AR Code § 16-90-904(2)(A) provides a full list of records that do not qualify for expungement or sealing. Some records that qualify for expungement include drug court probation, offenses by minors, misdemeanors, probation sentences, and completed conviction sentences. When an offense qualifies, the applicant may file for expungement after five years have passed since the completion of the applicant’s sentence for a conviction.

To begin the process, the applicant must file the petition and order to seal records at the circuit or district court of the county where the crime was committed. When the petition is filed, a copy will be sent to the county prosecutor and the arresting agency. Any of them who oppose the sealing of the record must file a notice of opposition within 30 days of receiving the petition explaining why the record should not be sealed.

The court may grant the petition without needing a court hearing if there is no opposition to the petition. If opposition is filed, the court will set a date for a hearing, and the applicant will go before a judge who will determine if the record should be sealed. If the judge grants the petition, they will sign the order of sealing, which must be filed with the court clerk. The court clerk will send certified copies of the other to all parties, including the arresting agencies, courts, and prosecuting attorneys.

Garland County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant in Garland County is a legal document that grants law enforcement the authority to seek and arrest anyone who has committed a crime. When the county prosecutor believes a person has committed a crime, they may file for an arrest warrant before any county circuit court judge, district court judge, or magistrate. The judge or magistrate may summon any person they deem necessary and examine them under oath to identify the offender and issue the warrant for an arrest. These persons might include the prosecutors or members of local law enforcement. The judge or magistrate of the Garland County court may issue the arrest warrant when they are satisfied that a crime has been committed. The warrant will instruct law enforcement to find the subject, arrest them, and bring them before the court according to the law.

In general terms, an arrest warrant in Garland County will command law enforcement to arrest the offender and may contain the following information.

• The name and a reasonable description of the offender
• It will be addressed to a particular law enforcement agency or any law officer in the State of Arkansas
• The date the warrant was issued
• The county where it was issued
• The offense for which it was issued
• The name and signature of the issuing judge/magistrate

Garland County Arrest Warrant Search

The Garland County Sheriff's Department is a valid option when searching for warrant information in the county. Interested parties can make their inquiries in person by visiting the Garland County Sheriff's Department located at:

525 Ouachita Avenue
Hot Springs, AR 71901

It may also be possible to look up warrants in Garland County at the Garland County Circuit Clerk’s Office. The Circuit Clerk acts as a repository for public records in the county, including warrants. Record seekers simply need to make a public records request with the office indicating the warrant as the required record. For any questions or inquiries, record seekers may call the Circuit Clerk’s office at (501) 622-3600 or (501) 622-3650.

Do Garland County Arrest Warrants Expire?

An arrest warrant in Arkansas and by extension Garland County does not expire. In Garland County, arrest warrants once issued will remain active until the subject of the warrant is apprehended, turns themself into court, or dies. However, the judicial officer responsible for issuing the warrant may recall or quash the warrant under certain circumstances. For example, the subject of the warrant may win a petition proving that the warrant was illegal or unnecessary.