Cincinnati Arrest Records

Cincinnati Police Department officers make arrests in the city when they witness a crime or gather evidence to reasonably believe an individual has committed or is about to commit a crime. When they make arrests, they file and document them, and the documentation becomes part of the Cincinnati Arrest records. The Ohio criminal justice system may subsequently use this documentation as part of the Ohio Court Records. Individuals arrested in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, are detained at Hamilton County Justice Center and a secondary facility, the Woodburn Avenue Detention Center. Youth offenders or individuals with specific low-level sentences are detained at Juvenile or workhouse facilities.

Are Arrest Records Public in Cincinnati?

Cincinnati arrest records are public records under the Ohio Public Records Act (Ohio Rev. Code § 149.43). This means that the records must be available for inspection or copying by members of the public, except for those records that are exempt as specified by law. Ohio law lists some of the record types exempted from the public to include:

• Juvenile records
• Sealed or expunged records for adult convictions
• Trial preparation records
• Confidential law enforcement investigation records

Interested individuals may make inquiries about Cincinnati arrest records at the Cincinnati Police Department headquarters at:

Cincinnati Police Department
310 Ezzard Charles Drive
Cincinnati OH 45214
Phone: (513) 352-3505

Where records are restricted, the subject of the record and their attorney may still access these records by petitioning the sentencing court for access.

Cincinnati Arrest Statistics

The Cincinnati Police Department submits arrest statistics to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. Records submitted for 2023 show that 4,805 arrests were made during the calendar year. These arrests were for 34 categories of offenses and include:

Simple assault - 2,164
Larceny - 840
Aggravated assault - 426
Vandalism - 394
All other offenses - 259
Burglary - 249

The 4,805 arrests were divided into 3,384 male (70.4%) and 1,421 female arrests (29.6%).

Find Cincinnati Arrest Records

Residents of Cincinnati who have been sentenced to an Ohio state prison will have their records on the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections' Offender website search. Searches may find inmates along with information on name, ODRC number, committing county, facility location, sentence dates, and parole or release eligibility.

For inmates held in federal facilities, individuals searching for inmates may use the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator to find inmates. Searches should note that there is no federal correctional institution in the city. However, federal detainees awaiting trial are held in county jails and managed through the Residential Reentry Management (RRM) field office at:

RRM Cincinnati
36 East 7th Street
Suite 2107-A
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 684-2603

After the sentence, federal male inmates are typically moved to FCI Elkton in Lisbon, Ohio, about 80 miles northeast of Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Cincinnati arrest records document the initial detention of an individual by law enforcement and do not show guilt. Cincinnati arrest records include the arrestee's name, date of birth, address, gender, mugshots, fingerprints, date, time, and location of arrest, as well as the arresting officer, charges, and booking information.

On the other hand, criminal records are documents that show the entire interaction of an individual with the justice system, including whether the party involved was found guilty or innocent. These records include the prosecution history, including court dates, sentencing, trial outcomes, post-conviction status, parole data, and even arrest records. These records become part of the criminal record once used as evidence in the criminal prosecution process.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Under Section 2953.32 of the Ohio Code, arrest records remain on file indefinitely with the arresting agency and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation unless the person named on the document takes legal steps to seal or expunge them. Generally, eligibility for expungement and timelines depend on the case outcomes and offense types as follows:

• Arrests that resulted in dismissal or acquittals are eligible for expungement immediately
• Non-conviction arrests following a grand jury "no bill" are eligible for expungement after two years
• One year after final discharge for a misdemeanor and 3 years for a felony conviction

Cincinnati Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant issued in Cincinnati is a court-issued order authorizing law enforcement to apprehend an individual suspected of committing a crime. A judge issues arrest warrants after a law enforcement officer has established probable cause, demonstrated by an affidavit.

Usually, the following circumstances necessitate issuing an arrest warrant in Cincinnati:

• Evidence implicates the suspect for a crime not committed in the presence of a police officer
• Failure to appear in court for a scheduled court date, usually, a bench warrant is issued
• Warrants may be issued for alleged breaches of supervision terms

Every arrest warrant issued in Cincinnati contains the following information:

• The full names, aliases, and physical description of the suspect
• The statute or ordinance violated
• Probable cause justifying the warrant
• The time, date, and county of issuance
• The issuing judge's name, court identifier, signature, and date

Do Cincinnati Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants issued in Cincinnati do not expire on their own. Once a court issues a warrant, it remains active indefinitely until one of three things happens:

• The suspect is arrested.
• A judge formally recalled or quashed the warrant.
• The underlying charge becomes unenforceable under the statute of limitations.

Expunge Cincinnati Arrest Records

Under Section 2953.32 of the Ohio Code, arrest records in Cincinnati may be sealed or, in limited cases, expunged, so that they are hidden from public view, but still accessible to law enforcement. Per state law, arrest records eligible for sealing include:

• No pending cases or new charges at the time of application
• Completed all sentencing terms, probation, and fines, and waited for 1 year with no further convictions for misdemeanor offenses
• Completed the three-year waiting period for felony offenses with no new convictions during the wait

Generally, many eligible misdemeanors and low-level felonies are automatically sealed after a waiting period without needing a petition. However, for most arrests, file a petition at the appropriate court. Serve the petition to all relevant agencies listed on your petition. The judge examines the applicant's eligibility and may hold a brief hearing. If approved, the court issues an order sealing the arrest record. The agencies on the petition have 30 days to restrict public access to the arrest record.