Anne Arundel County Arrest Records

Anne Arundel County's law enforcement agencies generate arrest records during and after arrest events. Arrests are necessary legal procedures for detaining persons suspected of violating state or federal laws. Law enforcementofficers may conduct arrests with or without an arrest warrant as long as there's sufficient evidence of the individual's crimes. Depending on the crime type or severity, officers may also detain arrestees in the county jail.

Anne Arundel County arrest records are important components of crime-related public documents. Citizens may find arrest information in criminal background records and inmate records. Anne Arundel County court records also feature arrest information, such as warrants and charges.

Are Arrest Records Public in Anne Arundel County?

Anne Arundel County's arrest records are classified as public records under Maryland's Public Information Act. Per the Annotated Code of Maryland §§ 4-101 to 601, residents and non-residents can view or obtain arrest information from agencies holding the records. Under state laws, requesters do not need to state their reasons for requesting records. In turn, government agencies must honor public record requests and provide options through which requesters can contain public records.

Note that Maryland state laws exempt or restrict access to certain arrest records. In most cases, record custodians will withhold records whose disclosure is judged to not be in the public interest. Records under this category may include the identities of crime victims and witnesses. State laws exempt access to the following arrest information:

• Information on law enforcement investigations, security procedures, or intelligence information.
• Arrest warrants are yet to be issued by the county court.
• Personal information on law enforcement officers.
• Records sealed or expunged due to a court order.

Note: Record custodians may set specific requirements before disclosing arrest records to interested parties. For instance, you must be legally eligible to request confidential or exempt arrest records. Eligible persons may include the record subject, close family relations, and persons directly affected by the arrest event.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In Anne Arundel County, arrest records may include these public data:

• The arrestee's name
• Arrest charges
• Arrest description
• Arresting agency
• Arrest date and location.

Anne Arundel County Crime Rate

According to the Maryland Statistical Analytical Center (MSAC), Anne Arundel County documented a total of 10,433 crimes. The report covered information on crimes like robbery, aggravated assaults, burglary, and larceny/thefts. Aggravated assaults and larceny/thefts were the most reported crimes at 1,286 and 1,817, respectively.

Anne Arundel County Arrest Statistics

There are no county-specific arrest statistics for Anne Arundel County. However, the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report revealed that Maryland’s law enforcement entities conducted 181,434 in 2018. According to the MSAC, Anne Arundel County’s correctional facility housed 443 inmates in 2023.

Find Anne Arundel County Arrest Records

The Anne Arundel County Sheriff's Office maintains arrest reports generated by law enforcement officers. To obtain such records, interested parties may send an online or mail request to the sheriff's office. For online requests, record seekers must fill out the sheriff's online request form and upload a valid ID. The sheriff's office will review the request and send the report to the record seeker's mail or email address.

To request the records via mail, record seekers must follow these steps:

1. Create a request for a form that contains the following details:
   1. The requester's name
   2. Police case or incident number (if known)
   3. Incident date, type, and location
   4. Names of involved persons
2. Attach a valid ID
3. Mail the request form and ID to the county sheriff's office at:

Anne Arundel County Police Department
Central Records
8495 Veterans Highway
Millersville, MD 21108

Note: The county sheriff will send an invoice or estimate of costs for producing the record.

In Anne Arundel County, record seekers may find arrest information in inmate records. Such records may feature arrest details like the arrestee's name, charges, bond, booking date, and arrest date and location.

Inmate records are accessible through online search sites maintained by government entities. For example, the county sheriff's office hosts an online search portal for all arrestees detained in the county jail. To use the portal, users must fill in the required search details in the allocated search boxes.

In contrast, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (MDPSCS) has an online search website for current inmates in the state's correctional system. Interested parties must input an inmate's name to find records on the portal.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator is another online repository for finding arrest information. To view records on the database, users must provide the inmate's name or prison number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Anne Arundel County

Government-owned search sites offer free access to arrest records in Anne Arundel County. The sites may include the following:

• Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s inmate locator
• MDPSCS’ inmate search portal
• Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator

Third-party search sites are alternative sources for accessing free arrest records. Such sites are easy to use and may allow direct downloads of arrest records. Nevertheless, they are mostly unregulated and may not offer complete arrest information.

Get Anne Arundel County Criminal Records

In Anne Arundel County, criminal records refer to all files concerning an individual's criminal past. Such records may include arrest information, indictments, court dispositions, and inmate data. The MDPSCS, via the Criminal Justice Information Services, is the designated custodian of criminal records. To obtain criminal records, interested persons or entities must make a request in person or via mail to the agency. For email-based requests, applicants must follow this guide:

1. Get fingerprinted at the CJIS-approved fingerprint service provider. On the other hand, applicants may print out the fingerprint card and get fingerprinted at a local law enforcement agency.
2. Next, enclose the required fee as a check made payable to the "CJIS Central Repository". Applicants must check the CJIS fee schedule to determine the estimated cost.
3. Send the fingerprint card and fees via mail or in-person to:

Criminal Justice Information System—Central Repository
P.O. Box 32708
Pikesville Maryland 21282 - 2708

Or sent overnight to:

Criminal Justice Information System—Central Repository
6776 Reisterstown Road
Suite 217
Baltimore, Maryland 21215 - 2346

Anne Arundel County Arrest Records vs. Criminal Records

In Anne Arundel County, arrest records are quite distinct from criminal records. Although both records reveal information on criminal offenses, they are different in terms of content, record creation process, and custodial agency. For example, arrest records feature arrest-related information like arrest warrants, charges, and arrest date and location. However, criminal records contain information on criminal convictions and may also include some arrest details.

In terms of their creation process, law enforcement agencies only create arrest records after an arrest event. In contrast, criminal records are created after an arrest charge becomes a criminal conviction.

Arrest records are mostly under the purview of law enforcement agencies, while criminal records are accessible through the MDPSCS.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest records will remain indefinitely on your records. However, you can expunge or seal the records from public view. Note that there are set procedures and timeframes for expunging arrest records in Anne Arundel County.

Expunge Anne Arundel County Arrest Records

Under Title 10 of the Maryland Code and Court Rules, expungement is a legal means of removing information from public inspection. You can expunge arrest records by following the set guidelines for expunging records. However, law enforcement agencies may automatically expunge dismissed charges for arrests made on or after October 7, 2007. The agency will expunge the record within sixty days of dismissing the charge.

Who is eligible to expunge arrest records in Anne Arundel County?

You are automatically eligible for expungement if the charges were dismissed. However, to expunge criminal conviction records, you must meet these requirements:

• You were acquitted.
• The court dismissed the charges.
• The court case was compromised under § 3-207 of the Criminal Law Article;
• You were convicted of one non-violent criminal act.
• You were pardoned by the governor.
• You were not found criminally responsible under state laws that prohibit misdemeanors.

How to expunge arrest records in Anne Arundel County

Follow these steps to expunge arrest records in the county:

1. Fill out and print out the appropriate expungement form:
   1. Form CC-DC-CR-072A (to expunge criminal cases with a disposition of acquittal, nolle prosequi, dismissal, probation before judgment (PBJ), stet, or not criminally responsible).
   2. Form CC-DC-CR-072B (for criminal records with guilty disposition).
   3. Form CC-DC-CR-072C (for criminal records where the court verdict was not guilty, acquitted, or nolle prosequi on or after October 1, 2021).
2. Send the completed petition form to the county court that handled the case.

Upon receiving the petition, the court will serve a copy to the state's attorney. Unless the state attorney files an objection, the court may issue an order to expunge all arrests and court records related to the petitioner. If the attorney files an objection, the court will hold a hearing to determine if the petitioner is eligible to expunge arrest records.

Anne Arundel County Arrest Warrants

In Anne Arundel County, court judges or clerks may issue arrest warrants upon receiving a request from the state's attorney or law enforcement entities. Note that the court official will only issue arrest warrants if there's sufficient proof of the defendant's criminal offense.

An arrest warrant issued in the county may include the following public information:

• The defendant's full name and identifying features like tattoos, sex, age, gender, and race
• Case number
• Warrant control number
• Arrest charges
• The defendant's social security number
• Warrant issuance date.

Anne Arundel County Arrest Warrant Search

Anne Arundel County Sheriff's Office maintains an online database of active warrants issued in the county. Record seekers may also find active warrants in person at the county sheriff's office.

Do Anne Arundel County Arrest Warrants Expire?

In Anne Arundel County, arrest warrants do not expire. Instead, they remain active unless the record subject is arrested or the court withdraws the warrant. Note that warrants remain active even after the statute of limitation for the crime has elapsed.