UnderVirginia Code § 19.2-71, law enforcement in Virginia and its counties have the right to arrest offenders. Any documentation generated by these law enforcement agencies during the arrests typically becomes part of the arrest record.
Offenders arrested in Roanoke County are usually remanded to the county jail operated by the local sheriff’s office. During processing and booking, the offender’s details and information are collected and arranged to appear before a judge. Arraignments generally determine if subjects are kept in jail or released on bail.
Arrest records form part of an offender's criminal history and will be kept as records by local law enforcement in the county. These records are also considered part ofRoanoke County court recordsand may be maintained by the local courts.
Are Arrest Records Public in Roanoke County?
Yes. TheVirginia Freedom of Information Actclassifies an offender's arrest records as public information that can be accessed by anyone. Sometimes, there may be information on an arrest record that is confidential and exempt from public access.
This sort of information may prevent the release of a record, or it may be redacted/removed if the record is released. The Freedom of Information Act specifies the sort of information exempted from public disclosure, including the following:
- Information such as medical records, social security numbers, and other personal details
- Information concerning ongoing investigations that may affect the case
- Records of juveniles and minors
- Personal information of the victims of a crime
- Records that have been expunged or sealed by court order
- Any information made confidential under federal and state laws
Confidential records may still be accessed by certain individuals and government agencies even though they are restricted from public view. For example, law enforcement agents, prosecutors, and an offender’s laws may be able to access full records.
What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?
Arrest records for Virginia and Roanoke County will generally contain details of the offender and a summary of events surrounding the arrest. At times, it is made up of information collected during the booking process after the arrest. The exact format of an arrest record may differ by jurisdiction, but the document will usually contain a combination of the following information.
- Person details about the offender, including their full name, date of birth, race, and gender.
- A physical description of the offender, including height, weight, hair and eye color, scars, and tattoos
- Biometrics such as fingerprints and mugshot photographs
- Summary of the offense that led to the arrest
- Booking details plus any bail/bond information
- The charges brought against the offender and the statutes violated by the charges.
- Details of the arrest, such as the arresting agency and officers, plus the date, time, and location of the arrest
- Court information, including court date, court officials, case numbers, and the outcome of the case(if available)
Roanoke County Crime Rate
Roanoke County Law enforcement submits crime data to the FBI using their Uniform Crime Reporting Program. The data submitted to the program for 2018 and 2019 shows the following statistics for crime in Roanoke County. Between 2018 and 2019, there was a 37.5% fall in rape cases, a 26.6% fall in robberies, a 13.9% fall in property crimes, a 0.68% fall in burglaries, and a 16.5% fall in Larceny thefts. Conversely, there was a 10% rise in overall violent crimes and a 48.9% rise in aggravated assaults. The most popular incident was property crime, with 1401 reported cases in 2018 and 1207 cases in 2019.
Roanoke County Arrest Statistics
Data collected from theFBI Crime Data Explorerprovides statistics for arrests reported by Roanoke County enforcement. According to the data, in 2022, there were about 1259 arrests made in the county, not including traffic incidents. Included in that figure are 303 arrests for simple assault, 185 arrests for larceny-theft, 174 for drug abuse, 118 for driving under the influence, 107 for disorderly conduct, 68 for aggravated assault, 68 for fraud, 61 for weapons charges, 28 arrests for burglary, 13 for motor vehicle theft, 8 for robbery, and three arrests for murder.
Find Roanoke County Arrest Records
Roanoke CountySheriff’s OfficeandPolice Departmentare the two major law enforcement agencies operating in Roanoke County. Individuals arrested by these agencies are housed in theRoanoke County Jailoperated by the sheriff’s office. Anyone looking for inmate information can contact the arresting law enforcement agency or call the jail division at (540) 283-3145. Inquiries about inmate records can also be made by calling Inmate Records at (540) 283-3130 or emailingjailrecords@roanokecountyva.gov.
The sheriff’s office also maintains an onlineInmate Inquirypage. Users can look up information about inmates in the county jail by entering various search criteria such as name, booking number, subject number, and booking date.
On the state level, inmate information can be obtained from theVirginia Department of Correction. Another available option for an inmate record search is theInmate Locatoron the Department of Corrections website. Arrest records may also be part of court records if the criminal case eventually went to trial. That means that arrest records are available.
Free Arrest Record Search in Roanoke County
Several options exist for anyone interested in finding arrest records in Roanoke County for free. The online search tools provided by the county sheriff’s office(Inmate Inquiry) and the state Department of Corrections(Inmate Locator) allow users to view inmate information for free.
TheRoanoke County Clerk of the CircuitCourt maintains aRecords Roomat their office where record seekers can use public terminals to look up public court records including arrest records.
Record requests can also be directed to the Freedom of Information Act(FOIA) officer for the clerk of courts. For more information, call the FOIA officer at (540) 853-2470. Although viewing the records is free, physical copies and certification of the record will incur copy fees and certification fees.
Free arrest records for Roanoke County may also be available on third-party websites that collate records from different sources.
Get Roanoke County Criminal Records
Criminal records is the collective name of the documentation that comprises an individual’s criminal history. It will usually contain different documents detailing the subject's criminal activity including arrests, court cases, and any incarcerations.
Criminal Records for Roanoke County can be obtained from the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Interest parties can obtain criminal records from the Circuit Court Clerk in person or by mail. They can contact the FOIA officer for advice on requesting records by calling (540) 853-2470. Public record requests can be directed to:
Public Information Officer/FOIA Officer Public Information Office
County of Roanoke
5204 Bernard Drive
Roanoke, VA 24018-0798
Phone: (540) 772-2010
The Circuit Courts Clerk also has a records room where visitors may use public terminals to look up records by themselves. The room is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Copies of the record will cost $0.50 per page while certification will cost $2 for each copy of the entire document.
Statewide criminal records orcriminal history checksmay be obtained from theVirginia State Police. There are several types of forms available for the request, depending on who is making the request. Record seekers may read theInstructionsto request the criminal history check thoroughly to ensure they use the right form and follow the correct process. Bear in mind that if you request a copy of your history, the forms will need to be notarized. The form can be delivered by hand to the office or mailed to:
Virginia State Police
Civil & Applicant Records Exchange (CARE)
7700 Midlothian Turnpike
N. Chesterfield, Virginia 23235
Roanoke County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records
Criminal and arrest records are documentation generated and maintained by law enforcement. They mainly differ in how expansive they are. An arrest record generally details the events surrounding a single arrest, while criminal records are much more detailed.
Arrest records are generated when the suspect is arrested and booked, it contains information about the events that led to the arrest. An arrest record will also have a physical description of the offender and other information collected during their booking and processing. It may also contain court information and more details about this particular arrest.
Criminal records, on the other hand, will contain several different documents detailing the offender's full criminal history. A complete criminal record will include details on all the offender’s arrests, bookings, and jail time. It will also contain all their court information, including case numbers, court dates, and verdicts for all cases that went to trial.
How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?
In Virginia, an arrest remains on an offender’s record forever. No matter the offense an individual is arrested for, the arrest will remain on their record. This means the offense will continue to appear on the person’s record during any background checks. However, Virginia gives people the option to expunge or seal criminal and arrest records. If successful with the expungement petition, the record will no longer show on their record.
Expunge Roanoke County Arrest Records
To expunge an arrest record means to completely remove it from an individual's records so it no longer appears during criminal record checks. UnderCode of Virginia Chapter 23.1, citizens can petition to have their criminal and arrest records expunged if they meet certain criteria. It should be noted that as of June 2024, Virginia does not allow for the expungement of records that resulted in a conviction.
An arrest record can only be considered for expungement if the offender meets certain criteria set by law, including the following.
- The defendant was in a criminal case where the commonwealth prosecutor's office decided not to prosecute on all charges.
- The defendant was charged in an assault/battery case where the victims stated in writing they had been satisfied/compensated, and the case was dismissed.
- The defendant was convicted of a crime but later received an absolute pardon.
- The defendant was in a civil action case and was charged with contempt of court but found not guilty.
- The defendant pleaded not guilty in the case and was acquitted by a jury or judge.
- The defendant was arrested because their name was used in connection to a criminal case without their consent or authorization.
If the applicant’s situation falls under any of these criteria, then they can petition to have the record in question expunged. The petition must be filed in the circuit court for the jurisdiction where the applicant was charged. Applicants will be required to submit theirPetition Form, a set of fingerprints, and pay the filing fee of $80.
After the filing, the applicant may be required to attend a hearing where a judge will review the petition and decide whether or not to grant it. The commonwealth’s attorney will be informed and may object to the expungement. In that case, during the hearing, the burden will be on the applicant to show it will be unfair or unjust if the records are not expunged.
If the petition is successful and the expungement is granted, the arrest is removed from the applicant's record. Access to the record is severely restricted, and to view the record, requesters will need to obtain a court order.
Roanoke County Arrest Warrants
An arrest warrant is a document that serves as written orders authorizing law enforcement to arrest the subject of the warrant. UnderVirginia Code Chapter 7, an arrest warrant or process of arrest may be issued by the judge, court clerk, or magistrate of any circuit court, general district court, juvenile court, or domestic relations court. However, magistrates may not issue arrest warrants for felony offenses based on complaints of anyone other than law enforcement without proper authorization.
When the judicial officers receive a complaint, they must examine under oath the complainant and other witnesses. Complaintants may be law enforcement or non-law enforcement. If the complainant is non-law enforcement, the complaint must also be in writing. If, after examining the complaint, the judicial officer finds enough probable cause to believe the subject of the warrant has committed an offense, they may issue a warrant for the subject’s arrest.
An arrest warrant for Virginia and, by extension, Roanoke County will usually contain the following information.
- The name of the accused and a reasonable physical description
- A description of the offense the accused is charged with
- Instructions to law enforcement to arrest and bring the accused before a court in the appropriate jurisdiction
- The arresting officers or law enforcement agency
- The office and signature of the judicial officer who issued the warrant
Roanoke County Arrest Warrant Search
Anybody in Roanoke County who wishes to search for active arrest warrants may contact theWarrants Divisionof the Roanoke County Police Department. They can call the division during office hours Monday through Friday at (540) 777-8617 and after hours at (540) 562-3265.
They may also check for arrest warrants online using the periodically updatedOutstanding Warrants Listmaintained by the police department.
Do Roanoke County Arrest Warrants Expire?
No, Arrest warrants in Roanoke County do not expire. An arrest warrant generally remains active if the subject is apprehended, turns themselves in, or dies. Sometimes a judge will decide to cancel or recall an arrest warrant under certain conditions. This is usually the result of a hearing after a petition from the subject of the warrant and their attorney.
