Peoria County Arrest Records

Any person suspected of criminal activity in Peoria County can become subject to an arrest, which initiates their entry into the criminal justice system. Whether the suspect is booked at a police station/jail or cited to appear for a court hearing, the arresting agency will record details about the incident and suspect on paper or in an electronic database, which subsequently constitutes the official arrest record.

The court process is the next stage in the criminal justice process after an arrest in Peoria County. Based on the arrest circumstances and offense, the suspect may be released without charges, provisionally released with their case referred to the State's Attorney (or district attorney) for prosecution, or formally charged with an offense. Should charges be filed in court, the arrest record will be incorporated into the Peoria County court records and, along with other presented evidence or arguments, will either exonerate the accused individual of the crime or support a finding of their guilt.

Are Arrest Records Public in Peoria County?

Yes. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) facilitates general access to numerous governmental records, including arrest records maintained in Peoria County. Consequently, any interested member of the public may request to examine or copy these records through law enforcement agencies and other legal custodians.

Notwithstanding, the FOIA secures several categories of records from public release where the information:

• Would threaten the life or physical safety of an individual
• Would compromise the successful completion of a law enforcement proceeding or investigation
• Would jeopardize the security of a correctional facility
• Pertains to a juvenile arrest
• Constitutes a booking photograph ("mugshot") for a civil offense, petty offense, business offense, Class C misdemeanor, or Class B misdemeanor to be posted on a social networking website, except if it is necessary to assist the search for a person of interest, missing person, fugitive, or person wanted for an offense other than the previously mentioned offenses (5 ILCS 140/2.15(e))

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

5 ILCS 140/2.15 lists the following data as being part of the public arrest records in Peoria County:

• The arrestee's identifying information, such as their full name, address, birth date, race, sex, and mugshot
• The charge(s) that triggered the arrest
• The arrest location, time, and date
• The investigation or arresting law enforcement agency
• The arrestee's booking time and date
• The arrestee's release conditions

Peoria County Crime Rate

The Annual Crime in Illinois Reports, published by the Illinois State Police (ISP), provide an in-depth analysis of the crime trends and figures in Illinois counties, including Peoria.

According to the publication, Peoria County recorded 5,887 index offenses in 2020, an 11.6% reduction from the previous year. Theft, burglary, and aggravated assault/battery were the most prevalent index offenses in 2020, resulting in 3,110, 924, and 916 incidents, respectively.

Meanwhile, index offenses with lesser reported numbers in Peoria were human trafficking - sex acts (0 incidents), human trafficking - servitude (0 incidents), and criminal homicide (14 incidents).

The county's index crime rate in 2020 was 3,221.9 per 100,000 population.

Peoria County Arrest Statistics

Peoria County's total index offense arrests in 2020 totaled 810, representing an 18.6% decrease from the previous year and a 443.3 index arrest crime rate per 100,000 population.

Aggravated assault/battery (327 arrests), theft (255 arrests), and burglary (118 arrests) were the criminal offenses that led to the most arrests in Peoria County in 2020. Similar to the 2020 offense report, human trafficking - sex acts (0), human trafficking - servitude (0), and criminal homicide (12) were the least reported index offense arrests.

(Note: As of August 2024, the most recent Crime in Illinois Report published by the ISP was the 2021 report. However, due to low submissions from law enforcement agencies in Peoria that year (less than 70% of the previous year's average), the data may be inadequate to determine the county's crime rate or numbers. Consequently, this section uses figures from the 2020 and 2019 reports.)

Find Peoria County Arrest Records

An individual searching for information on someone arrested in Peoria County can begin by accessing the local sheriff's office Jail Records. The online database provides information about those arrested by local law enforcement departments and booked in the county jail facility.

Notwithstanding, members of the public can still make FOIA requests to Peoria police agencies to retrieve records of arrests made in the county. It is necessary to query the agency that made an arrest, as there is no centralized county office or database for such inquiries. Several agencies provide FOIA forms on their websites for submitting record requests, or interested parties can stop by/call an office during regular business hours.

It should be noted that an agency may charge a fee to duplicate a record in its custody, and confidential arrest information is not released to the general public. Furthermore, local law enforcement authorities are generally unable to provide information about a suspect in federal custody. Where one requires access to such information, they can write to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) at 320 First Street., Northwest Washington, DC 20534, call the BOP at (202) 307-3198, or search the federal inmate locator.

Free Arrest Record Search in Peoria County

For a no-cost arrest records search in Peoria County, a person may access the local sheriff's Jail Records website with a first and last name. Individuals who reckon their loved one may be in police custody can also call the sheriff's office inmate information line at (309) 697-7841

An arresting agency can also be queried for details about an arrest. In keeping with the Illinois FOIA, no charge is due on the requester unless they make a copy request that exceeds a specified number of pages (typically 50 pages).

Additionally, several third-party databases offer free arrest record searches to interested citizens. These databases can usually be searched by name or jurisdiction. Some provide basic arrest information to the inquirer, with an option for more detailed records. However, many websites offer this supplemental information behind a paywall, which may be a one-time fee or recurring subscription.

Get Peoria County Criminal Records

Criminal records carry information about a person's contacts with the criminal justice system, including their arrests, detentions, trials, convictions, and sentences.

These records can be obtained from the Illinois State Police through an Access and Review Process. This process requires one to submit their fingerprints and other identification information to any Illinois law enforcement or correctional facility. Parties can also utilize a licensed fingerprint vendor.

The receiving agency will then forward the fingerprints and identifying information to the ISP, which will then process the request and send any responsive criminal records to the individual applicant or the applicant law enforcement agency or correctional facility. The ISP may charge a fee to process a request. Also, the entity offering the fingerprinting service may assess reasonable costs.

ISP's Access and Review procedure is only provided to the subject of a criminal record. It is not possible to request another person's criminal record this way. The same goes for any application made to the FBI for a nationwide criminal record check, which costs $18.

However, there are still other ways for a member of the public to obtain Peoria County criminal records.

For instance, under 20 ILCS 2635/1 et seq, the public can request conviction information from the ISP by completing a UCIA (Uniform Conviction Information Act) request form and paying the applicable fee for a name-based or fingerprint inquiry. The term "conviction information" covers all arrests, charges, court dispositions, and custodial data, if any, connected with a guilty judgment or nolo contendere.

The general public can also find criminal records at the presiding court (where a criminal case was heard or adjudicated). One way to obtain Peoria County criminal court records is via the Peoria County Records Inquiry portal, a free case search tool provided by the Peoria County courts. This portal has a Criminal and Traffic Case Records Search that can be accessed with a defendant's name or case number to find relevant records.

Criminal court record requests can also be made at the courthouse where a case was heard or to a court clerk's office. However, fees may apply to obtain copies of records.

Peoria County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

An arrest record is primarily a police document created after the incident of a person's arrest. It details who was arrested, their alleged offense, the arresting department, and other pertinent information.

A criminal record, on the other hand, contains arrest information but also provides details about the court proceedings that followed, including whether the suspect was found guilty or acquitted of a crime.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Permanently. No state law or county ordinance imposes a deadline for removing an arrest from a person's criminal history in Peoria County. These notations remain part of an individual's criminal history until they obtain an expungement or record sealing from the court.

Expunge Peoria County Arrest Records

Overall, there are three legal methods to clear one's criminal record in Peoria County: expungement, sealing, and executive clemency.

An expungement erases arrests and court supervisions from the record as if they never occurred. Sealing conceals the record from public access. However, law enforcement agencies and some employers may still see the record. Meanwhile, executive clemency (from the Governor) forgives the offense and may be explored if one does not qualify for expungement or sealing. A pardon does not erase or hide an arrest record, but some pardons can authorize expungement, which allows the subject to apply for such relief.

To have a record expunged in Peoria County, one must petition the local circuit court using the applicable expungement/sealing forms (also see the court's additional forms page). One may need to obtain a copy of their criminal record from the Illinois State Police and their court disposition and review them to determine which arrests or charges can be expunged.

Typically, an individual can apply to expunge arrests and charges, as well as supervisions or qualified probations completed successfully. Those who do not qualify for expungement can apply for sealing if eligible. Circumstances that generally disqualify an arrest record from being expunged/sealed include:

• Where the subject has pending criminal charges
• Where the subject still has a pending sentence, including probation, parole, or court supervision
• Where the necessary waiting period has not lapsed

A fee may be required to file an expungement petition with the court, except if the petitioner qualifies for a fee waiver.

It should be noted that the expungement process in Peoria often takes a few months, including the time taken by the State's Attorney, State Police, and arresting agencies to object or approve an expungement request.

Further, certain arrests—for example, arrests related to cannabis convictions and certain juvenile offenses—qualify for automatic expungement. In such cases, asking the court for an expungement will not be necessary. Speaking with an experienced lawyer may be advisable to verify automatic relief.

Peoria County Arrest Warrants

A Peoria County arrest warrant is a written command from the court to a peace officer, or some other designated person, directing them to arrest an individual. This directive may be issued upon a law enforcement officer's formal complaint setting forth probable cause for the arrest. At the same time, a judge may issue an arrest warrant at their discretion to bring to court a person who failed to appear for a hearing/trial or violated a judicial order.

As outlined in 725 ILCS 5/107-9, Peoria County arrest warrants contain the following details:

• The name of the accused, if known, or a description by which they can be reasonably identified
• The offense the accused individual is charged with committing
• The county/municipality and date of issue
• The issuing authority's signature and title of office
• Any geographical limitation placed on the warrant's execution
• Pretrial release conditions, if applicable

Peoria County Arrest Warrant Search

Members of the public can find active Peoria County arrest warrants on the county sheriff's Warrant Information website. This site lists (in ascending alphabetical order) the names of individuals with outstanding arrest warrants in the jurisdiction and their last known addresses, dates of birth, heights, weights, sexes, case numbers, offenses, and bond amounts. The site also has warrant issue dates.

It should be noted that the warrant information provided on the Peoria County Sheriff's website is not an exhaustive list of all active Peoria County warrants. As such, individuals can also search the Peoria County courts' Criminal and Traffic Case Records portal for case events or hearings that may point to a warrant's issuance, or they may contract an attorney or bail bonds service for the investigation.

Do Peoria County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants released in Peoria County remain in effect until executed or recalled by the court. Generally, any individual who becomes the subject of an arrest warrant in Peoria can surrender to the authorities or risk an arrest anytime they encounter the police.