Lauderdale County Arrest Records

Arrest records in Lauderdale County are official documents that provide information on persons taken into custody by law enforcement officers and the circumstances surrounding the arrest. An arrest generally occurs when a person is physically detained by law enforcement on suspicion of committing a crime. A police officer in Lauderdale may arrest someone in one of these instances:

• Upon knowledge of an active warrant out for the person's arrest.
• After witnessing someone perpetrating a crime
• With probable cause to believe that a person has committed or plans to commit an offense.

In other words, a police officer cannot arrest someone based on mere suspicion. Instead, the suspicion must be based on probable cause, which is authentic information that leads the police officer to believe the person has committed or is about to commit a crime.

Arrested persons in Lauderdale County are booked after being detained, usually in the Lauderdale County Detention Center (jail). The booking process involves collecting their full names, dates of birth, physical descriptions, charges, arrest locations, and other related information.

The law enforcement agency that made the arrest is responsible for creating the arrest record, while related arrest and booking information may be available at the detention facility. If the case goes to trial, the arrest records may become part of Lauderdale County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Lauderdale County?

Lauderdale County's arrest records are public in line with Alabama Code § 36-12-40. Under this law, any citizen can inspect or obtain copies of government records, including arrest records. However, the law generally exempts the disclosure of records expressly deemed non-public by statute or information that can be harmful to public safety, welfare, or interest. Therefore, access to the following records may be restricted by law:

• Sensitive personnel records
• Certain victim or witness information
• Confidential juvenile records
• Ongoing investigation files
• Personal identifying information such as driver’s license or social security numbers
• Expunged criminal records

Exempted records may remain accessible to certain eligible persons like a minor’s parents, victims, and authorized government agencies. Individuals may also get access after a court orders the disclosure of certain records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Lauderdale arrest records contain information that can be used to identify or describe detained persons, the nature of their alleged crimes, and the circumstances surrounding their arrest. This information usually includes:

• Suspect’s identifying information, including their legal name, known aliases, date of birth,
• The suspect’s physical description includes gender, height, skin, hair, eye color, etc.
• Arrest descriptions, including the date, time, and location of the arrest
• Offense type and charges
• Arresting agency or officer information
• Booking details, including facility name and booking date and time,
• Court and release information, including the name of the filing court, bail amount, and applicable release terms.

Lauderdale County Crime Rate

Alabama crime reports show that Lauderdale County recorded 1,689 crimes in 2022, comprising 230 violent crimes and 1,459 property crimes. The index offenses included:

• One (1) homicide
• Nine robberies
• 11 rapes
• 141 motor vehicle thefts (MVT)
• 209 assaults
• 241 burglaries
• 1,077 larcenies

Compared to the previous year which recorded 2,044 crimes, most indexed offenses excluding assault and MVT had varying degrees of reduced occurrences. Nevertheless, larceny-theft remained the most recorded offense in the most recent years.

Lauderdale County Arrest Statistics

According to the Alabama crime reports, Lauderdale County reported 6,047 arrests in 2022, 4,871 in 2021, and 2,169 in 2020. The arrest trend showed that arrest incidents doubled between 2020 and 2021 and increased again by 24% between 2021 and 2022. Adult arrests comprised around 99% (12,956) of all arrests (13,087) recorded from 2020 to 2022, whereas juvenile arrests comprised the remaining one percent.

Find Lauderdale County Arrest Records

Interested persons may find arrest and booking information on inmate search portals provided by the detention facilities. However, as of August 2024, the Lauderdale County Detention Center does not provide online access to its inmate records or roster. Therefore, persons may have to direct queries to the arresting or housing facility via mail, telephone, or in-person requests.

Available online sources that individuals may use to find inmates and their arrest information include the inmate search tool provided by the Alabama Department of Corrections or the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator. Users can search for records by inmate name, inmate number, or other required details. However, these sites will only provide information on inmates housed within each respective jurisdiction.

Free Arrest Record Search in Lauderdale County

Arrest records in Lauderdale County are available at various law enforcement agencies. Persons can find these records based on the agency that carried out the arrest. Since the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office manages the county jail, booking details and related arrest information may also be obtainable from this agency.

Depending on the record custodian, record seekers should direct requests to:

Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office
Lauderdale County Courthouse
200 South Court Street,
P.O. Box 1710
Florence, AL 35630
Phone: (256) 760-5757
Fax: (256) 760-5765
Email: info@lauderdalecountyalsheriff.com

Florence Police Department
702 South Seminary Street,
Florence, AL 35630
Phone: (256) 760-6500

Killeen Police Department
225 J.C. Mauldin Highway,
Killen, AL 35645
Phone: (256) 757-5555

St. Florian Police Department
4508 County Road 47,
Florence, AL 35634
Phone: (256) 766-6625

Anderson Police Department
P.O. Box 8
Anderson, AL 35610
Phone: (256) 247-3617

Lexington Police Department
P.O. Box 457
Lexington, AL 35648
Phone: (256) 229-5564

Rogersville Police Department
P.O. Box 540
Rogersville, AL 35652
Phone: (256) 247-0740

Waterloo Police Department
P.O. Box 38
Waterloo, AL 35677
Phone: (256) 764-3237

Generally, persons may view information for free in person or on any online inmate rosters provided by government agencies or third-party sites. However, obtaining copies may incur charges. Interested parties may request arrest records via an acceptable medium, such as mail, email, phone, or in person.

To make requests, persons should provide specific details such as the arrestee’s name, arrestee’s date of birth, arrest date or location, or booking number to help custodians locate the record.

Get Lauderdale County Criminal Records

Criminal records are official documents created or gathered by criminal justice agencies (courts and law enforcement) to summarize an individual’s arrest, prosecution, and conviction within a certain jurisdiction. Lauderdale County criminal records, therefore, focus on criminal activities within the county. However, extensive or collated criminal history information within the county may not be obtainable locally, except from local police departments like the Florence City Police Department, which provides local background check services for $10.

Alternatively, criminal history records containing information gathered from various criminal justice agencies in Alabama are available with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). Interested persons can conduct statewide background checks through the ALEA Criminal Records Identification Unit via in-person or mailed applications.

For in-person requests, persons may make requests at 301 S. Ripley Street, Montgomery, AL 36104 (Adams Avenue side). This process will involve providing valid identification, getting fingerprinted, filling out an application form, and paying a $25 fee in cashier’s check or money order.

For mailed requests, complete the request form and send it along with a copy of valid ID, fingerprint cards, and fees in cashier’s check or money order to:

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
Criminal Records and Identification Unit
ATTN: Background Checks
P.O. Box 1511
Montgomery, Alabama 36102-1511

Authorized employers may also access information on employees' or applicants' criminal history records online through the Alabama Background Check System (ABC).

Lauderdale County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Lauderdale County arrest and criminal records are both official documents generated by criminal justice agencies to provide information concerning criminal activities. However, while arrest records focus on the events leading to an arrest and certain detention details, criminal records focus on the record subject and all related criminal activities recorded within the county.

Therefore, Lauderdale arrest records provide more information on the initial offense, arrest, and booking, while Lauderdale criminal records summarize the individual’s criminal history, including arrest, prosecution, and conviction. The case disposition information contained in criminal records makes arrest records inadequate sources of conviction information. Similarly, criminal records may not provide as many arrest details as arrest records.

Hence, depending on the information sought, individuals may not use one as a substitute for another.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An arrest in Lauderdale County or any jurisdiction in Alabama shall remain in one’s record unless expunged after the record subject’s successful petition. As of August 2024, there is no automatic expungement of juvenile or adult arrest in Alabama, whether or not the arrest led to a guilty verdict.

Expunge Lauderdale County Arrest Records

As per Alabama Code § 15-27, persons may have an arrest removed from their record once a petition is filed and meet all requirements for expungement under state laws. Eligibility criteria for expungement include:

• Felony, misdemeanor, or minor traffic offense charges dismissed with prejudice, acquitted, nolle prossed, or not billed by a grand jury (90 days waiting period)
• Persons who completed eligible deferred prosecution or pre-trial diversion programs (one-year waiting period)
• Misdemeanor, municipal ordinance, and traffic violation charges dismissed without prejudice with no criminal conviction during the previous two years (one-year waiting period)
• Felony convictions not involving violence, sex offenses, or serious traffic violations after completing all parole, probation, or restitution conditions (3 years after conviction date)
• Non-violent felony charges were dismissed without prejudice, with no refiling or other convictions during the previous five years.
• Quashed indictments (after the statute of limitation for refiling has passed)
• Victims of human trafficking.

To expunge Lauderdale County arrest records, eligible persons have to file a petition to expunge the specific case at the Circuit Court in the county where charges were filed. The petition should include the case number and list agencies (courts, law enforcement, and detention facilities) that may hold records relating to the case to help locate and expunge records.

Eligible persons must file a sworn petition along with other required documents like an ALEA criminal history record, case action summary, or arrest records. Petitioners may also have to pay a $500 administration filing fee. After filing, petitioners may have to provide copies of the petition to certain agencies and keep a waiting period for the agencies to object to expungement before the court can review the petition. Petitioners may also have to attend a hearing before the judge can make final decisions and execute the expungement order.

Lauderdale County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants in Lauderdale County are written documents authorizing the arrest of named persons. After an individual or peace officer files a complaint in a county court stating the offense and showing proof that somebody committed it, a magistrate or judge shall sign and issue Lauderdale County arrest warrants after finding probable cause that the person committed the offense. In line with Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure (Rule 3), these warrants contain information such as:

• The suspect/defendant’s name
• Offense and charges
• Issuing court or judge’s details
• Issuing date
• Command for arrest
• Release or bail conditions
• Any predetermined bond amount

Lauderdale County Arrest Warrant Search

Interested persons may find Lauderdale County arrest warrants with different law enforcement agencies. Typically, the county Sheriff’s Office maintains warrants issued by the Circuit Court, and record seekers may obtain information on wanted persons by contacting the office at:

Lauderdale County Courthouse
200 South Court Street
Florence, AL 35630
Phone: (256) 760-5757
Fax: (256) 760-5765

Additionally, local police may also provide information on active arrest warrants. For instance, the Florence Police Department has a list of wanted persons available online.

Do Lauderdale County Arrest Warrants Expire?

After an arrest warrant is issued in Lauderdale County, it remains on file until it is served by law enforcement agents, except in cases when a court recalls the warrant, thereby withdrawing or reversing it. Persons may request a warrant recall if the warrant was issued for failure to appear in court. This process usually involves appearing at the court, paying an administrative fee, and receiving a new court date.