Chesapeake City Arrest Records

In Chesapeake City, Virginia, an arrest occurs when an individual is seized or taken into custody by a law enforcement officer. This seizure becomes necessary when reasonable grounds exist to believe a person committed a crime.

Upon an arrest, the arrestee is transported to a local police station for booking, which involves gathering the individual's personal information and other relevant details and compiling them into what is referred to as an "arrest record". Every local arresting agency is responsible for generating records of persons they arrest.

Individuals should note that arrests are only the first stage of a lengthier criminal justice process that includes other agencies like the courts. Consequently, arrest records generated in Chesapeake are often used to supplement other official documents, such as the Chesapeake City court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Chesapeake City?

Yes. Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), any information produced, received, retained, or collected by a public officer while transacting public business is a public record. This definition includes various types of data and documents generated by law enforcement agencies, including arrest records.

Under § 2.2-3706 of the Virginia FOIA, photographs of adult arrestees taken after an arrest as part of the routine booking process are also open to the public. The identifying information of an arrestee who has been charged is also deemed a public record by this law.

To this end, members of the public have a right to:

• Contact official custodians to access arrest records in their custody
• Inspect or receive copies of requested records

Consequently, official custodians of arrest records must:

• Provide access to public requests for arrest records promptly (within five days of receiving the request)
• In the case of denied access, provide a written response to the requester highlighting the specific section of the law that authorizes the prohibition
• Withhold public records only to the extent of the excluded portions

However, individuals should note that certain records are not available for inspection or copying if they are exempt from public disclosure by operation of law.

Generally, an arrest record will not be released to the public if it:

• Jeopardizes an investigation in felony cases
• Is a juvenile record
• Falls under discretionary records highlighted in § 2.2-3706(B) of the Virginia FOIA

In the above cases, only select persons, such as the record subject, may be permitted to view or inspect such records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records in Chesapeake City typically comprise the following information:

• Inmates Demographic Information: Name, subject number, age, gender, race, height, weight, and aliases
• Inmate's mugshot
• Booking History and Bond Details: Booking number, booking date, booking origin, total bond/bail amount, bond number, and bond type
• Charges Information (charge description, court date, court, courtroom, offense date)

Chesapeake City Crime Rate

Chesapeake City recorded 16,751 crimes and a crime rate of 6,634.64 per 100,000 in 2023, according to statistics from the Virginia State Police (VSP). The most prevalent crime category recorded in 2023 was crimes against property, with 9,457 incidents. Others included:

• Crimes against persons (5,186)
• Crimes against society (2,108)

Within the crimes against persons group, simple assault (3,129) was the most prevalent offense in Chesapeake City, followed by intimidation (925). In the crimes against property category, property destruction/damage/vandalism had the highest reoccurrences, with 1,766 incidents, followed by shoplifting, with 1,419 offenses. Finally, drug/narcotic violations (838) were the most common crimes against society, followed by weapons law violations (622 offenses).

Chesapeake City Arrest Statistics

According to the VSP's crime statistics, Chesapeake City recorded 2,934 arrests in 2023. The highest number of arrests were made for simple assault (975), drug/narcotics violations (505), and weapons law violations (333).

Find Chesapeake City Arrest Records

Below are the local, state, and federal resources for retrieving information about persons arrested in Chesapeake City:

Local Resources

Chesapeake City arrest records can be obtained from the Sheriff's Office and police departments within Chesapeake City via a FOIA request. Additionally, the Chesapeake City Sheriff's Office maintains a central database of individuals detained by the various law enforcement agencies in the county. Anyone can navigate to the Inmate Lookup feature on the Chesapeake City Sheriff's Office website to search with a name, subject number, booking number, booking date, or housing facility. Users can also narrow their search to persons currently in detention by ticking the "In Custody" box. Selecting "Search" brings up results related to a user's query, and they can click a detainee's name to view detailed arrest data.

State Resources

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) keeps records of individuals arrested by state authorities in a county and transferred to a state prison to serve their sentence. The fastest way for individuals to access such records is by visiting the DOC's Inmate Locator.

To search the database, parties can enter the first letter of an inmate's name (at the minimum) and their full last name. Alternatively, one can input a subject's seven-digit inmate ID number. Upon clicking "Locate," the subject's name, location (holding facility), inmate ID number, and release date will pop up.

Federal Resources

Federal agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and US Marshals Service, can arrest individuals suspected of committing federal crimes in Chesapeake City. Federal arrestees are typically housed in federal detention facilities managed by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), which maintains an online searchable database of confined individuals. Parties can access the database via the BOP's Find an Inmate page. The system is searchable with a person's unique identification number or name.

It should be noted that some federal agencies maintain publicly accessible records of arrestees or detainees. For example, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provides records of persons arrested by its officers via an Online Detainee Locator System.

Free Arrest Record Search in Chesapeake City

Besides government-run online databases, interested parties can search Chesapeake arrest records free of charge on third-party websites. These sites are private-owned online platforms that aggregate arrest information from numerous sources and make them available to members of the public. Generally, third-party websites charge a fee to access records in their database. However, individuals may obtain limited information or leverage a trial subscription at no cost.

Get Chesapeake City Criminal Records

As mentioned earlier, arrests are only the first step in the criminal justice process, which also includes the preliminary hearing, trial, and sentencing. The documents generated during these proceedings comprise a person's criminal record, which different custodians maintain in Chesapeake City. However, parties can obtain comprehensive (statewide) criminal records, called criminal history information or RAP (Record of Arrest and Prosecution) sheets, from the Virginia State Police.

Notably, criminal history information is not regarded as public in Virginia and can only be accessed by specific entities, such as employers and record subjects. More information about obtaining these records is available on the VSPs Criminal History Record Check website.

Chesapeake City Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Chesapeake criminal records comprise documents generated about a criminal case, including the arrest, conviction, sentencing, and incarceration. Various criminal justice agencies maintain these records, including courthouses and jail facilities.

Conversely, arrest records are limited to the information gathered about an individual's arrest, including the initial charges and the suspect's physical description.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests remain on a subject's record permanently in Chesapeake City. An exception is when the record is sealed or expunged by a court.

Expunge Chesapeake City Arrest Record

Section 19.2-392.2 of the Virginia Code outlines the requirements and processes for expunging arrest records in Chesapeake City. Per the law, only these parties are eligible for record expungement:

• Persons who were acquitted or found innocent
• Persons for whom a nolle prosequi (decision not to prosecute) was entered
• Victims of identity theft
• Persons who received an absolute pardon

To expunge Chesapeake City arrest records, qualified individuals must prepare a petition with their personal information. They must also include details of the charge to be expunged and relevant arrest dates and attach certified copies of warrants or indictments that show the disposition of the case. Petitioners must pay the $89 filing fee and $12 service or processing charge by check, cash, or money order to the Chesapeake Circuit Court.

Upon filing, the Sheriff will serve a copy of the petition and warrants on the Commonwealth's Attorney, and the petitioner will receive a date and time-stamped copy of the petition with a fingerprint card. The petitioner must take the petition and fingerprint card to the Police Department, which will forward them to the Virginia State Police to check the petitioner's criminal history.

After this, the petitioner will receive a notice of the court's hearing date and time. If the petition is granted on the hearing date, the judge will receive a duly endorsed Order of Expungement from the petitioner and enter it as a judgment of the court. Upon entry, the petitioner will receive two certified copies of the judgment, and the relevant criminal justice agencies will be notified of the expungement.

Note that an expungement does not permanently delete an arrest record.

Chesapeake City Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants are orders signed by judges and directed to law enforcement authorizing them to take a suspect into custody. For an arrest warrant to be granted, the police must have gathered ample evidence, supported by an affidavit, to charge the suspect. This is also referred to as "probable cause". Without the establishment of probable cause, the warrant cannot be issued.

Information contained in a Chesapeake City arrest warrant includes:

• The alleged offense
• The name or description of the suspect
• A command that the subject of the warrant be arrested and brought before a court with jurisdiction to try the offense within Chesapeake City
• The issuing authority's signature

Chesapeake City Arrest Warrant Search

Individuals can request records from a Chesapeake City court to determine if an arrest warrant was released in an open case.

They can also contact the Chesapeake Warrant Unit at (757) 382-6388 to find out if they have a warrant in the City of Chesapeake. However, the Unit cannot disclose the charge(s) over the phone for privacy reasons.

Do Chesapeake City Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Chesapeake City arrest warrants do not expire. They remain valid until executed by a suspect's arrest and returned to the court by a law enforcement officer.