Prince George's County Arrest Records

Anybody can become the subject of an arrest in Prince George's County if sufficient facts point to their involvement in a crime or a warrant has been released for their arrest.

After an arrest, the suspect will be transported to a regional processing center, usually the Prince George's County Correctional Center in Upper Marlboro or the Police District I Headquarters in Hyattsville.

During processing, the arrestee's personal effects will be searched and inventoried, their fingerprints and photographs captured (unless exempt), and they may be interviewed or undergo medical screening. The arresting police officer will also complete several forms and reports related to the arrest, which collectively make up the arrest paperwork.

Arrest records include information about a person suspected of a criminal offense and the facts or circumstances surrounding the arrest. The documents are essential to various entities within the criminal justice system.

For instance, law enforcement officers may analyze previous arrests to identify repeat offenders. Defense lawyers may review the records to find any procedural irregularities or inconsistencies in the arrest process, which can be leveraged to challenge the legality of an arrest. On the other hand, prosecutors may examine arrest records to discern criminal patterns, pursue stringent sanctions, and so on.

Notwithstanding, an arrest record does not indicate whether the subject was ultimately charged or convicted of the stated allegation. Members of the public who wish to find information about the ensuing legal process may need to review publicly available documents, such as the Prince George's County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Prince George's County?

Yes, albeit with several exceptions. Under Maryland's Public Information Act (MPIA), indexed under the General Provisions Article (GP) §§ 4-101 through 4-601, the public possesses the statutory right to access government records without undue delay or cost. The PIA encompasses records generated by law enforcement bodies in the course of their official duties, including those of arrests performed to maintain public order, protect lives, or safeguard property.

Although anyone can submit a PIA request for an arrest record in Prince George's County, certain documents and information are deemed confidential to the general public. The MPIA groups these exemptions into three distinct categories:

1. Records exempt from disclosure under the PIA or other statute, court rule, court order, or common law privilege (say, attorney-client privilege). For example, § 10-219 of the Criminal Procedure Article prohibits the dissemination of criminal history records (as defined in § 10-201) to the public. In the same manner, § 3-8A-27 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article prevents the release of certain juvenile police and court records, including information about juvenile arrests.
2. Records with mandatory confidentiality. For instance, a person's medical and financial information is ordinarily exempt to the general public.
3. Records whose disclosure would be "contrary to the public interest," or otherwise known as discretionary exemptions. These include documents whose release would impede a law enforcement proceeding, divulge a confidential informant's identity, constitute an unwarranted intrusion of personal privacy, or prejudice an investigation or adjudication.

Nonetheless, certain confidential records in Prince George's County remain disclosable to a "person in interest" (usually the subject of the record), an agent/attorney representing the subject, a party of interest (typically with a court order), or a criminal justice agency for criminal justice purposes.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

A "public arrest record" is simply a record that contains only details releasable to the general public about an arrest. In Prince George's County, this record may include the following information:

• The arrestee's full name, age, and residential city/state
• The offense for which the suspect was apprehended
• The law enforcement agency that made the arrest
• Circumstances surrounding the arrest, such as whether the arrest was made under a warrant, whether it was a victimless crime, the time, date, and place of arrest, or whether a pursuit was necessary to apprehend the suspect
• The detention facility where the suspect is presently being held

Prince George's County Crime Rate

According to the Maryland State Police's Crime in Maryland report, Prince George's County recorded 19,306 offenses and a crime rate of 2,084.36 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021. Law enforcement in the county reported 133 murders, 281 rapes, 1,439 robberies, 1,770 aggravated assaults, 1,458 cases of breaking & entering, 10,732 larceny-theft incidents, and 3,493 motor vehicle thefts.

Comparing statistics reported in the previous year (2020), larceny-theft was also the most common crime in Prince George's County, accounting for 11,564 incidents (67.8%) of the reported 19,401 offenses in 2020.

Prince George's County Arrest Statistics

Data extracted from the Maryland State Police's 2021 Crime in Maryland report place the total number of arrests in Prince George's County at 6,715 in 2021, a 32.3% decrease from the previous year.

According to the report, Prince George's County recorded 6,320 adult arrests and 395 juvenile arrests in 2021. The top offense causing more arrests was Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), with 967 arrest incidents. It was followed by weapons violations (928 arrests) and narcotics violations (773 arrests).

Find Prince George's County Arrest Records

Individuals seeking arrest records in Prince George's County can begin by contacting the law enforcement agency responsible for the arrest.

• The Prince George's County Police Department: This department is the primary law enforcement body in Prince George's County, policing over 900,000 residents and visitors.

Records can be retrieved from the Prince George's PD in person during regular business hours for $10 per copy. One can also submit a request by mail, including sufficient information about the record (such as the incident date, time, or location and an involved party's name), a self-addressed stamped envelope, a government-issued photo ID (copy), and a $10 fee. Below is the PD's mailing address:

Prince George's County Police Records
4923 43rd Avenue
3rd floor
Hyattsville, MD 20781

The application fee is payable by money order, business check, or credit card (Visa, Discover, MasterCard). However, a $1.50 service charge applies for each credit card transaction.

Alternatively, an individual can submit a request via the PD's Records Center.

• Municipal Police Department: Where the arresting agency is not the Prince George's County Police Department, individuals can seek information from the police department serving the municipality where the arrest occurred. These agencies employ different request procedures and fees, which are frequently accessible on the respective agency's website.

For example, persons seeking records from the Bladensburg Police Department (BPD) can fill out the agency's request form and submit it in person or via mail. The BPD charges $4 per report for town residents and $10 per report for non-town residents.

However, arrest records released by police departments adhere to the guidelines of the Maryland Public Information Act. This means that certain information may be redacted before release, or the entire record may be barred from public disclosure.

Finally, those seeking records of persons arrested in Prince George's County but remanded or sentenced to state or federal custody may search the Maryland Incarcerated Individual Locator or Federal Inmate Locator, respectively. The Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) can also be queried if the individual in question was arrested and detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Free Arrest Record Search in Prince George's County

People requesting Prince George's County arrest records are typically liable for the associated costs. Although the Maryland Public Information Act allows public access to certain arrest information, local law enforcement agencies do not maintain online databases where anyone can look up public arrest data (as seen in some other states). Usually, a requester must submit a formal request to the respective police department, and the individual must pay the relevant copy fees. Under the MPIA, a fee may also be charged if the request preparation, research, and review exceeds the first two hours.

Still, there are many third-party databases that offer an arrest record search to consumers. These databases can search across different municipalities and states and are often an excellent starting point for public records inquiries. However, the user may be charged a fee to obtain comprehensive results.

Get Prince George's County Criminal Records

A criminal record, often called a RAP sheet or criminal history record, summarizes a person's interactions with criminal justice agencies. It includes details about an individual's arrests, charges, convictions, sentences, parole violations, and more.

Individuals seeking criminal records from Prince George's County can start at the central repository: the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS). The agency provides criminal records checks (or background checks) based on fingerprint submissions from law enforcement agencies across the state. However, these checks are not available to the general public, only to the subject of the record and authorized entities for legal purposes like employment, immigration, or licensing.

The DPSCS Background Checks and FAQs pages should be reviewed for precise information about submitting these requests. For individuals requesting personal background checks, the process generally involves submitting a fee and fingerprint card (obtained from any authorized location that provides fingerprinting services) to the DPSCS Criminal Justice Information System.

Subjects of records can also order a national criminal background check from the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) for $18.

Nonetheless, one can still seek a criminal records check from local authorities within Prince George's County.

For instance, subjects of records can obtain a local criminal history check from the Prince George's County Police Department for immigration-related purposes. The check costs $20 and only covers local adult criminal charges where the County PD responded or charged an individual.

In a similar manner, individuals looking for arrest dispositions can search court records through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search or at the presiding courthouse.

Prince George's County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Two document categories frequently misconstrued as interchangeable within the criminal justice system are arrest and criminal records. However, there is a significant distinction between them.

An arrest record is a law enforcement document detailing an arrest incident. It identifies the person suspected of a crime and the circumstances that led to the arrest. Compared to a criminal record, an arrest record does not reveal whether the accused was subsequently prosecuted or sentenced for the alleged offense.

On the other hand, a criminal record encompasses the events following an arrest or filing of charges, especially focusing on an individual's determination of guilt or innocence. The document lists the charges brought against a person, the outcome of legal proceedings, and any ensuing sentences or convictions.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests remain on a person's record forever. This means that any member of the public can see the record, provided no access restrictions exist. However, the State of Maryland allows qualified parties to expunge (erase) or shield (hide) their criminal records.

Expunge Prince George's County Arrest Records

Maryland offers two sources of relief to people looking to remove police and court records related to an arrest, charge, or conviction from public inspection: shielding and expungement. Shielding removes some or all information in a record from public view. Meanwhile, an expungement completely removes court and law enforcement records.

To obtain an expungement in Prince George's County, a person must first ensure they are eligible to file a petition under Criminal Procedure Article §§ 10-105, 10-107, or 10-110. For example, an individual may be eligible if:

• Their case was disposed via an acquittal, dismissal, nolle prosequi, stet (indefinitely postponed), or not guilty verdict.
• They received a Probation Before Judgment (PBJ) and have remained crime-free, except they were convicted or received a PBJ for Driving While Under the Influence or While Intoxicated. Individuals who received a PBJ but were convicted of a new offense within three years of receiving it are also ineligible.
• They were convicted of an eligible offense, such as a criminal offense no longer considered a crime, cannabis possession under Criminal Law Article § 5-601, or a crime listed under Criminal Procedure Article §10-110

Further, the petitioner must ensure that all charges in their case can be expunged and adhere to the applicable waiting periods for their petition.

Generally, expungement petitions are filed in the court where a case was concluded. There are three kinds of petitions a former defendant may file, and these may be obtained from the Maryland Judicial Branch's website or at the Prince George's County Circuit or District Court:

• Form CC-DC-CR-072A: For cases with a disposition of acquittal, dismissal, probation before judgment (PBJ), nolle prosequi, stet, or not criminally responsible. There is no charge to file this form.
• Form CC-DC-CR-072B and Form CC-DC-CR-072D: Used when the petition is based on a guilty disposition. Form CC-DC-CR-072B should be filed for a non-marijuana/cannabis-related offense, while Form CC-DC-CR-072D is used for marijuana/cannabis-related offenses. Each petition costs $30. However, those who cannot afford the filing fee may seek a fee waiver from the court.
• Form CC-DC-CR-072C: Used to expunge records where all charges were disposed by acquittal, not guilty verdict, dismissal, or nolle prosequi on or after October 1, 2021, where it has been less than three years since the disposition.

When an expungement petition is filed in a Prince George's County court, the process may take 90 days to complete. The State's Attorney's Office has 30 days to object to the petition. If the office files no objection, the court will issue an order to any involved agency, and they must comply within 60 days (it could take longer, however). Subsequently, the petitioner will receive a Certificate of Compliance via mail informing them that the expungement has been completed.

To an inquiry about an expunged arrest record, the subject of the record can deny that the incident ever occurred. However, certain applications may require disclosure. Individuals may seek legal advice about such disclosures or contact a Court Help Center.

It should be noted that the above process only pertains to adult expungements. A different procedure applies to expunge records of a juvenile arrest. The Maryland Judiciary's Juvenile Record Expungement page can be reviewed for specific guidelines.

Prince George's County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a written order ("writ") that commands a peace officer to arrest an individual and bring them before the court without unnecessary delay. In Prince George's County, such orders can be issued by a judge or district commissioner under Md. Rules, Rule 4-212 (d)(1) and (d)(2). However, only a judge can issue a bench warrant for a person's arrest.

Under Maryland law and the U.S. Fourth Amendment, there must be a "probable cause" determination for an arrest warrant to be issued. This means that the affiant (who may be the State's Attorney or a police officer) must demonstrate sufficient facts that a person committed a crime, thereby justifying the warrant's release. Factors such as the suspect being a potential flight risk or posing a danger to another person or the community are also considered in a warrant's issue.

Arrest warrants in Prince George's County contain the following information:

• The suspect's full name and any distinguishing characteristics
• The suspect's age and last known address
• The time and date of issue
• The offense necessitating the warrant's release
• The warrant type and number

Prince George's County Arrest Warrant Search

The Prince George's County Sheriff's Office serves all court-ordered warrants in Prince George's County. As such, those looking for active arrest warrants can search the office's Active Warrants database or stop by in person at:

5303 Chrysler Way
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

The sheriff's department does not dispense warrant information over the phone.

An alternative to finding arrest warrants in Prince George's County is to look up court records via the Maryland Judiciary Case Search to determine if a court released a warrant. However, only the sheriff's office can confirm if the warrant exists.

Do Prince George's County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, arrest warrants do not expire in Prince George's County. These writs remain outstanding until the subject is captured by the police or surrenders willingly. Still, there are instances where the court may recall or cancel a warrant upon finding good cause, such as if the charges were dropped.