Portage County Arrest Records

In Portage County, arrests are official procedures for detaining individuals suspected of violating the law. The county's law enforcement officers can arrest offenders after receiving evidence of their crime. In some cases, the officers may detain people to prevent crimes or to protect them from further harm.

That said, the officers also record all arrest events. These arrest records are accessible to public members through the county's law enforcement agencies. The Portage County Sheriff's Office is the primary custodian of arrest information. Portage County arrest records can be found in related public files, like criminal records and court cases. For instance, Portage County court records, such as criminal cases, may contain arrest information.

Are Arrest Records Public in Portage County?

Under Ohio Sunshine Laws, most Portage County arrest records are generally public. State laws determine the process of obtaining arrest records, and law enforcement agencies serve as the primary record custodians.

The state law also exempts portions of arrest records from public view. The exempt document usually contains information that may violate the record subject's right to privacy and safety. For this reason, the law redacts crime victims’ information from arrest records. Other exempt arrest records in Portage County include the following:

• Arrest records that contain phone numbers of witnesses or crime victims
• Audio or video recordings from body cameras that contain sex- or violence-related content.
• Body cam videos or audio that may reveal an individual’s private information.
• Arrest records sealed or expunged due to a court order
• Arrest data that may pose a threat to physical safety or life.
• Probate or parole proceedings concerning community sanctions.
• Arrest records that may reveal the identity of persons reporting child abuse.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In Portage County, public arrest records may provide information on the following:

• The arrested person's name, aliases (if available), and physical identifying features like age, gender, and ethnicity.
• Mugshot
• Arrest charge(s)
• Description of the charge
• Date and location of the arrest.

Portage County’s law enforcement agencies will redact confidential records from public view. However, it may release confidential arrest records to requesters with a legal right to view them.

Portage County Crime Rate

The FBI's Crime Data Explorer is an online repository for crime statistics in Portage County. According to the 2022 CDE report, the Portage County sheriff's office reported 733 index crimes. The report further revealed that property crimes comprised 91 percent of the crime rate.

Per the CDE report, larceny-theft and aggravated assaults were the recurring crimes in 2022. The county recorded 496 larceny-theft crimes and 47 aggravated assaults in that year.

Portage County Arrest Statistics

The FBI UCR provides state-level arrest statistics. According to the report, Ohio’s law enforcement agencies recorded 205,987 arrests in 2019. Likewise, there are no country-specific incarceration rates. Per the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, the state housed 45,012 inmates in 2023.

Find Portage County Arrest Records

Interested parties can find Portage County arrest records in inmate records. Furthermore, you can find inmate records through government-owned search sites. The Ohio Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation maintains an online search portal for inmate records. Record seekers can view arrest information by filling out the offender's name and incarceration status.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons is an alternative option for accessing Portage County arrest records. The agency maintains a searchable database. Interested parties may use the platform to find inmate records.

Record seekers can also find Portage County arrest records through the county sheriff's records division. To obtain arrest information, requesters must send a request letter to the sheriff's office via mail, in-person, or fax. The request letter must contain these details:

• Incident location
• Persons involved
• Date of incident
• Report number (if known)

You can send the request, along with the required fees, to the sheriff's office at:

Portage County Justice Center
8240 Infirmary Road
Ravenna, OH 44266
Phone: (330) 297-3892
Fax: (330) 298-2110
Email: afisher@portageco.com
Email: tmaiorca@portageco.com.

Free Arrest Record Search in Portage County

You can freely access arrest records through these government agency sites:

• Ohio Department of Corrections inmate search portal
• The Federal Bureau of Prisons’ inmate search database.

You can also find free Portage County arrest records on third-party search sites. These sites may feature arrest information in criminal or inmate records. That said, record seekers must not utilize these sites as substitutes for official search portals. Some search sites may contain inaccurate or incomplete data.

Get Portage County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Portage County refer to official files that contain an individual’s criminal history. Furthermore, Portage County criminal records are not public documents; only the record subject and authorized agencies can access the record.

Record subjects can obtain a copy of their criminal record from the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigations. To obtain criminal records, the record seekers must provide these documents:

• The record seeker's full name, identifying features, and current residence.
• The record seeker's signature.
• Complete set of fingerprints. You can get fingerprinted at the Portage County Sheriff’s Office.
• A business check or money order for $22 made payable to the Treasurer of the State of Ohio.

Submit the documents and fees at these locations:

BCI London
1560 State Route 56 SW
London, Ohio 43140

BCI Bowling Green
750 North College Drive
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402

BCI Richfield
4055 Highlander Parkway
Richfield, Ohio 44286

BCI Youngstown
20 West Federal Street
Youngstown, Ohio 44503

Portage County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records and criminal records are different in terms of their content, creation process, and agency handling. For instance, law enforcement agencies generate arrest records, while county courts, law enforcement agencies, and correctional facilities may contribute information to create criminal records.

The records’ content also differs in terms of content. Arrest records may contain the arrested person's personal details, criminal charges, fingerprints, mugshots, and the arresting agency's information. However, criminal records contain both arrest information and court-related data.

Note: Portage County arrest records do not indicate whether the record subject is guilty of the offense

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest information will remain on your records in Portage County until you expunge it. Note that Portage County has different waiting periods and processes for expunging arrest records.

Expunge Portage County Arrest Records

You can expunge arrest records by petitioning the county court that handled the case. For dismissed or non-conviction records, file a petition to seal or expunge with any court clerk. The court will grant your request, provided you meet the legal requirements for expunging records. The court may also receive objections from concerned parties, such as crime victims.

Note: Per Section 2953.32(B)(1)(a)(iii), you must file an expungement petition with the Court of Common Pleas if convicted in a federal court or in other states.

Who is eligible to expunge arrest records in Portage County?

Per Section 2953.32, you are eligible for expungement if you meet these requirements:

• The offense is not listed under Division (A) of Section 2953.32. Offenses listed under this section include:
  • Non-sexual felonies
  • Criminal records offenses in which the victim was less than 13 years old.
  • First- or second-degree felony convictions
  • More than one third-degree felony conviction
• The applicant and prosecutor agreed to bail forfeiture if it was a dismissed charge or non-conviction case.
• There are no pending criminal cases.
• Your need to expunge the record does not outweigh the government's interest in maintaining the record.

When can I expunge arrest records?

There is no waiting period for expunging dismissed arrest charges or non-conviction cases. However, criminal convictions may have different waiting periods before you can expunge them. Per Section 2953.32, here are the waiting periods for criminal convictions:

• If convicted of one or two third-degree felonies, wait for three years after serving the court sentence.
• Seven years after completing court-mandated sentences for offenses listed under Section 2921.43.
• Six months after official discharge, if convicted of a minor misdemeanor offense
• Ten years after completing the sentence for a felony.

How can I expunge arrest records in Portage County?

You can expunge arrest records by filing an application to expunge at the court that handled the case. The application must contain your personal information, offense details, the arresting agency, and the reasons for requesting an expungement. You may hire legal counsel to draft the application. It costs $50 to file an expungement for criminal convictions. However, you don't need to pay to expunge dismissed charges or non-conviction records.

After receiving the request, the county court will set a hearing date and notify the case prosecutor at least two months before that date. The prosecutor must also notify the victim or the victim's representative about the hearing.

The court will also direct a probation officer to inquire about the petitioner. The probation officer will also inquire if the offender was fingerprinted when arrested. Next, the court will consider whether the offender can legally expunge their record. The court will also consider the offender's age, employment, education, and moral conduct.

The county court will send an expungement notice to entities that may hold the petitioner's arrest or criminal convictions.

Note: The prosecutor may file a written objection to the court thirty days before the hearing date.

Portage County Arrest Warrants

Portage County arrest warrants are legal directives that authorize a person's arrest. Judicial officers in the county issue arrest warrants after receiving a complaint from law enforcement officers. The arrest helps officers conduct arrests without the risk of civil or criminal liability.

In Portage County, arrest warrants contain the following details:

• The record subject's full name and aliases (if known)
• Offense description
• The offender's last known address
• A description of the offense
• The arresting agency's information

Portage County Arrest Warrant Search

The Portage County Sheriff's Office maintains all active or outstanding warrants issued within the county. Record seekers must contact the sheriff's office at (330) 297-3888 to search arrest warrants.

Do Portage County Arrest Warrants Expire?

In Portage County, arrest warrants do not expire and remain until the court cancels the directive or the offender gets arrested.