Alameda County Arrest Records

Alameda County arrest records are created and maintained by the local police departments or the arresting agency. Records may also be maintained by the California Department of Justice. Per the California Penal Code, law enforcement officers in Alameda County have the right to arrest individuals suspected of committing criminal offenses, including misdemeanors and felonies. These records are typically managed by local law enforcement agencies but may become a part of Alameda County Court Records if the arrest leads to a judicial proceeding.

Upon arrest, the individuals undergo a process called “booking,” which involves documenting a suspect’s personal information, fingerprints, details, and reason for the arrest. This results in the creation of an arrest record. Depending on the severity of the case, the suspect may be transferred to a detention facility before trial. The outcome of the trial determines whether the arrestee is released or not.

Are Arrest Records Public in Alameda County?

Yes. Alameda arrest records are public records. As such, interested parties can request arrest records from any law enforcement agency in Alameda County. However, the California Government Code may exempt some arrest records from public disclosure. They include:

• Information that may endanger the safety of an individual involved in the investigation, especially the victim and witnesses
• Information that would prevent the successful completion of the investigation or any other related investigation
• Information on the current address of all individuals arrested by the agency
• Information that is restricted due to the victim’s request
• Criminal offender record information
• Identifying juvenile information
• Information that may deprive someone of a fair trial
• Information that may highlight an investigating officer's analysis or conclusion
• Medical record of the victim

While these records are exempt from public disclosure, they may be released to parties involved in the investigation, including the subject of the records, attorneys, and government organizations, when needed.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Per the California Government Code 7293.610, a public arrest record should include the following information:

• Full name of arrestee
• Date of birth and occupation of arrestee
• Physical description of the arrestee (sex, height, weight, and color of eyes)
• The time, date, and location of the arrest and booking
• The location of arrest
• The bail amount
• Detention facility where the arrestee is held or the time of release
• Charges the arrestee is currently being tried or investigated for
• Other outstanding warrants and probations.

Note: The information listed above may not be released to the public if it would compromise an ongoing investigation.

Alameda County Crime Rate

The Open Justice portal reports indicate that the Alameda County Police Department investigated 80,859 crimes in 2022. According to the report, the most reported offenses were property crimes, which accounted for 85.7% of reported cases.

The most prevalent property crime in Alameda County in 2022 is larceny theft, accounting for 44,689 of the county's reported crimes. The prevalence of vehicle theft and burglary is also high, with 16,672 and 7,910 reported cases, respectively.

Violent crimes and arson constitute the remaining 14.3% of Alameda-reported cases. With 5,748 cases reported, aggravated assault was the most predominant crime in Alameda County in 2022, followed by robbery with 4,528 reported cases. A total of 463 cases of arson were reported in Alameda County.

Alameda County Arrest Statistics

According to arrest statistics uploaded on the Open Justice Portal by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), Alameda County reported 26,012 arrests in 2022. Up to 64.4% (16,761) of the arrests were for misdemeanors, and only five arrests were made for status offenses like running away and breaking curfew. A total of 9,246 (35.5%) arrests were made for felonies, including violent crimes, property offenses, drug offenses, and sex offenses.

Find Alameda County Arrest Records

In Alameda County, over two dozen police departments maintain law and order. In addition to the police departments, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, highway patrols, and other federal/state law enforcement agencies also maintain law and order in the county.

Local law enforcement agencies are responsible for most arrests in the county. This means that if the Alameda City Police Department makes an arrest, a requester may be able to contact the records unit at (510) 337-8411 to request arrest records.

While the procedures for obtaining arrest records vary among the various police departments, each accepts record requests submitted in person, via mail, or electronically. They may also request the following details to help process the request effectively:

• The arrestee's full name
• The arrestee’s date of birth, if known
• The date and time of arrest
• The requester's name and contact information
• Valid government-issued ID (typically to prove one's eligibility when requesting nonpublic arrest records)

When federal and state agencies make arrests, Alameda arrest records can be obtained through either of the following options:

• You can search the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) portal online to obtain details of the jail where an inmate is being held.
• You can search physically or online at the Alameda County Sheriff’s office, as it is the location of booking for arrests made by state agencies.
• An online search on the CDCR California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS) portal. This portal, created by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), provides records of all inmates incarcerated by state agencies. Searches can be conducted by name or CDCR number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Alameda County

Per the California Public Records Act, anyone can request arrest records from any local police department or law enforcement agency to request arrest records. Requests for inspection of Alameda arrest records often come at no cost to the requester. However, one may be charged if extra copies of the documents are made.

Requests for Alameda arrest records can be submitted in person, via mail, or e-mail. Alternatively, an arrest records search can be conducted on the Alameda Sheriff’s Office Inmate Locator. The Inmate Locator is an online portal that offers free access to details of persons arrested/in custody in Alameda County. Notably, the inmate locator will not release some details of arrests made by county agencies due to exemptions set by the Government Code. Also, the information on the portal may change as subjects move through the judicial process.

Get Alameda County Criminal Records

Criminal records contain details of an individual’s contact with the criminal justice system, including arrests, detentions, court cases, and contact with law enforcement agencies. Criminal records, also known as criminal history records, provide dates and reasons for arrests, the duration of sentences, and judgments of court cases. Per the California Penal Code 13300, access to criminal records is restricted to only the subject of the records, parties with the subject’s consent, and authorized agencies(law enforcement agencies and certain employers).

Eligible parties can visit the sheriff’s office to get criminal records in Alameda County. Written requests can also be submitted via mail or on the sheriff's website. It is advisable to include a check for the correct fee when submitting a request. In addition to the fee, requesters are also required to provide the following:

• The subject’s full name
• The date and time of the criminal incident
• A valid ID
• The requester’s contact information

For criminal records involving other county agencies, criminal records requests should be submitted to the agency that made the arrest. Alternatively, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) can obtain Alameda criminal records. The DOJ requires record subjects in California to submit Live Scan fingerprints, while non-residents must submit manual fingerprint cards (Form FD258). Details of these fingerprints and how to submit them are available on the DOJ website.

Alameda County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Although “arrest records” and “criminal records” are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings.

Alameda arrest records are created and maintained by the sheriff’s office and other police departments. They contain details of a suspect/arrestee’s personal information, charges or reasons for arrest, events leading up to the incident, and the arresting officer. Arrest records may include the outcome of the arrest. However, they do not include the details of court hearings or other criminal information.

On the other hand, Alameda's criminal records contain details of a subject’s journey within the criminal justice system, including mugshots, arrests, pending warrants, fingerprints, and court convictions. It also provides details of the subject’s personal history, including place of birth and education. Contributions from law enforcement agencies, court systems, and correctional facilities create criminal records. The California Department of Justice is shouldered with the grand responsibility of maintaining Alameda criminal records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. There is no set time in California for erasing details of an arrest from a subject’s record. Generally, the California Department of Justice retains a record until the subject turns 100 years old. An individual who wishes to erase an arrest from one’s record may opt for an expungement or sealing.

Expunge Alameda County Arrest Records

Alameda arrest records can either be sealed or expunged. Expungement involves deleting an arrest from one’s record fully, while sealing involves making a record confidential or non-disclosable to the general public.

The Alameda District Attorney’s office offers a service called Clean Slate, which assists record subjects to expunge or seal arrest records. The following petitions can be filed to the Clean Slate:

• Petition for early termination of probation in line with California Penal Code. This applies to individuals on probation who have paid their fines and turned a new leaf.
• Petition for dismissal for individuals who have completed their probation using forms CR-180 and CR-181. The subject will be allowed to withdraw their plea and receive a dismissal of the conviction.
• Sealing of arrest records of factually innocent individuals by filing form BCII8270.
• Reduction of some charges to misdemeanors.

More information on how to file these petitions and how to expunge Alameda arrest records is available on the District Attorney’s website.

Alameda County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is an official precept signed by a judge or magistrate which authorizes a peace officer to arrest and detain an individual. Arrest warrants are often issued before arrests are made. However, the California Penal Code 836 permits a peace officer to arrest an individual without a warrant if there is probable cause to believe that the person committed a public offense or if such offense was committed in the officer's presence.

According to the California Penal Code, an arrest warrant must include the following details:

• The name of the arrestee (any name can be used if the name is unknown to the judge)
• The time of issuance
• The location of issuance
• The signature and title of the judge/magistrate)
• The name of the court or issuing authority

Alameda County Arrest Warrant Search

To determine if a pending arrest warrant exists, an individual can opt for an in-person search at the county sheriff’s office or an online search on the sheriff’s official website.

The Superior Court offers online services that inform one if a judge presiding over a case has issued an arrest warrant. Alternatively, an individual can opt to request their criminal records from the DOJ. The criminal history records provide a list of all pending arrest warrants.

Do Alameda County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Alameda County arrest warrants do not expire. They stay on one’s record indefinitely until the individual dies, is arrested, or the warrant is recalled. However, arrest warrants that are not executed after several years may be dismissed under the Criminal Statute of Limitations.