Indiana County, Pennsylvania Arrest Records
Indiana County arrest records are documents that contain identifiable descriptions of an arrest incident. Arrest records also include comprehensive information about an arrest, including arrest dates, the arrestee's personal information, and indictment and charge details. Indiana County arrest records are created by the booking departments of county sheriff's offices and police departments primarily to preserve information about an arrest for use by law enforcement, attorneys and prosecutors.
The process begins by attaching unique identifiers to the arrest, including the booking number, arrest number, and incident number. The records are then populated by documenting facts and events related to the arrest. Booking departments in Indiana County create different types of arrest records, including arrest reports and arrest summary sheets.
Pennsylvania statutes view arrest records as a part of a person's criminal history. However, State laws clearly distinguish between conviction and non-conviction arrest records. These categories of arrest records are treated differently as regards expungement and consideration for housing or employment. In Indiana County, most arrest records are available in local databases and online portals provided by the Indiana County Sheriff's Office and the Indiana Borough Police Department.
Are Arrest Records Public Information in Indiana, Pennsylvania?
Yes, arrest records are public records under the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law and Chapter 91, Subchapter C of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. These laws give individuals the right to request and access Indiana County arrest records maintained by law enforcement agencies. Anyone may request copies of arrest records by submitting a right-to-know request to a records custodian. However, requesters must provide a government-approved ID and personal information with the request. You cannot submit records requests in Indiana County anonymously.
While most arrest records are public, Pennsylvania's Criminal History Information Act, Chapter 91, Title 18, Crimes Code, exempts certain types of arrest records from public disclosure. Examples include juvenile arrest records, non-conviction arrest records, and sealed law enforcement records. Arrest records from convicted cases that fall under the confidential information specified by the State's Case Records Public Access Policy are also exempt from public disclosure.
What Do Public Indiana County Arrest Records Contain?
The content of arrest records in Indiana County depends on where the records are created or maintained. Generally, law enforcement-maintained arrest records contain more information about the arrest, while court-maintained records reveal more legal information about the arrest. Some of the common elements found within most Indiana county arrest records include :
- The full name of the arrestee(including street names and aliases)
- Last known address of arrestee
- The cause of arrest
- The date and time of arrest
- Charges against arrestee
- Booking no.
- Arrest records no.
- Indictment no.
- Name of arresting officer
- Name of booking officer
- Inmate ID no.
- Name of facility where offender is held
- Bail amount
- Date of scheduled court appearance
- Court assigned to case
Indiana County, Pennsylvania Arrest Search
A person who wants to search for arrest records produced by any law enforcement agency in Pennsylvania may do so through the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal Records portal (PATCH). The PATCH portal is ideal for accessing a subject's comprehensive arrest records because, unlike local databases operated by county law enforcement, it includes arrest records from counties across Pennsylvania.
The PATCH portal is created and maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police and provides record seekers with arrest records as part of a subject's Criminal History Record Information (CHRI). The Pennsylvania State Police may provide arrest and criminal records through the PATCH portal, but only the subject of the records or specific non-law enforcement agencies may request them. A person's legal representative may also make individual requests. Agencies that may request these arrest records include employers, foster care agencies, and schools.
Information seekers who want to request criminal and arrest records from the PATCH portal may do so by downloading and completing the SP4-164 Form. Applicants will need to mail the completed form with a $27.00 money order made out to the Commonwealth of PA, $22.00 for the Criminal History Record Check, and a $5.00 Notary Fee if the requester needs the records notarized. The records will be sent to the requester's mailing address and email provided in the request form.
Another option for obtaining Indiana county arrest records is through Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial portal. The portal may be used to search for Indiana county arrest records only for incidents that led to charges and court appearances. Users may search the portal for free using the arrestee's name or case number. The portal returns detailed arrest information from docket sheets.
Indiana County Inmate Locator
The Indiana County Inmate Locator is a tool maintained by the Indiana County Sheriff's Office for searching inmate and arrest information. The inmate locator contains information on inmates held in the Indiana County jail system. To use the inmate locator tool, researchers should visit the Indiana County Sheriff's Office in person to request a search of the department's in-house portal. The Indiana County Sheriff's Office is located at the following address:
Indiana County Sheriff's Office
Indiana County Courthouse
Third floor
825 Philadelphia St.
Indiana, PA 15701-3973
Phone: (724) 465.3930
Fax: (724) 465.3937
Alternatively, information seekers may search for Indiana County arrest and inmate records online using the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections portal. The portal is a statewide source of inmate and arrest records from every county in Pennsylvania. To search for county inmate records through the Department of Corrections online portal, specify the committing county (Indiana in this case) and then search by the full name of a suspected offender.
How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Indiana County
One reliable way to find arrest records for free in Indiana County is by using the public access computers at the Indiana County Courthouse. The fee-to-use terminals may be used to find arrest records linked to a database of criminal cases handled by the court. Individuals may search the terminals by providing the case number or the name of the subject of the criminal case. The search results show a summary of the arrest information for a case, which you may view at no cost. However, making photocopies of these records always incurs a small charge.
Another free option is to email a law enforcement agency's records department to request arrest records. The agency will provide the records for free as a public service if requesters may prove that the records will be used to serve the public interest. The Indiana County Sheriff's Office also offers record fee waivers and discounts for persons who were wrongfully arrested.
Indiana County Arrest Report
Indiana County arrest reports are arrest records that an arresting officer creates immediately after an arrest. The report describes the arrest incident in detail without omitting any information. Arrest reports explain what caused the arrest, every event that led to it, and the incident itself in narrative form. For example, when a police chase leads to an arrest, the arrest report includes details about the chase, including the people involved, what happened, and how the arrest was made. Arrest reports are the first type of arrest record produced after an arrest.
Arrest records are a more summarized version of arrest reports. Arrest records do not tell the story of an arrest; instead, they list key information, such as unique identifiers, persons involved, and key facts about detention and prosecution. While arrest records and reports preserve records, they also serve a second purpose: they may be used as key evidence during deposition at trial.
How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Indiana County
Expungement is a judicial process that offenders may use to remove their records from public access. After the expungement process is completed, those arrests or convictions will no longer be publicly accessible. Under 18 Pa.C.S.A § 9122, an individual's arrest record in Indiana County may be expunged if any of the following are met:
- Dismissed Cases - Individuals whose cases have been dismissed by the court, withdrawn by the Commonwealth, or disapproved for prosecution by the court may file for record expungement at any time.
- Summary Offenses - An individual convicted of a summary offense (a minor offense with a possible penalty of a fine and/or a maximum of 90 days in jail) who has not faced arrest or prosecution for any other crime for at least five (5) years following that conviction.
It is important to note that Arrest records linked to convictions for Violent and sexual crimes cannot be expunged in Indiana County. Additionally, eligible persons must follow a 5-10 year waiting Period before they may expunge their arrest records.
According to Rule 490, Part H of the Pennsylvania Rules of Expungement Procedure, people who want to apply for expungement must first request access to their comprehensive criminal records from the Pennsylvania State Police. Using information from the criminal records form, the individuals may then file a petition using the standard Pennsylvania courts expungement petition form. Applicants must also pay a $132 expungement fee.
The court will hold a hearing and decide whether to grant or deny the petition. When the judge approves an expungement, the Criminal Division of the Department of Court Records removes all non-conviction information from its electronic database and physical case files, and informs the relevant criminal justice agencies of the expungement order.
How Do You Remove Indiana County Arrest Records From the Internet?
Most private internet platforms that publish arrest records offer a record removal service. Individuals may use this service to request free record removal. One way the service works is by disputing the published records using the contact information provided on the web platform. The process may be done through phone or email. Applicants may send a court order showing that the published records are confidential or have been expunged. Some sites offer online forms to submit removal requests.
For official websites such as the police or county sheriff's office , citizens may also call and email the records department to request removal. Expunged records may still be online if the office has not received the court order instructing law enforcement to remove them from public view. In this case, applicants may provide the order themselves.