Harrisonburg County Arrest Records

Harrisonburg County arrest records are official documents that contain information about incidents where individuals have been arrested and taken into custody in the county. Law enforcement officers primarily make arrests with the authorization of an arrest warrant that compels a suspect’s arrest. However, an arrest warrant is not the only requirement for an arrest. Under the Virginia Code § 19.2-81, law enforcement officers can also make an arrest without a warrant in certain cases. For instance, an officer can arrest an individual who attempts or commits a crime in their presence.

Generally, Harrisonburg County arrest records, also known as arrest reports, are prepared by arresting agencies after an arrest within the county. They may be reported to the local judiciary system and featured in Harrisonburg County Court Records. Arrest records may also be reported to other state and county government agencies so that they can be included in certain records maintained by these agencies. For example, arrest records are reported to the Virginia State Police and included in criminal records the agency compiles.

Are Arrest Records Public in Harrisonburg County?

Yes. The Virginia Public Records Act permits the general public to access most records generated or maintained by government agencies, including arrest records. However, the statute has certain limitations.

According to Virginia Code § 2.2-3706, there are circumstances in which law enforcement and criminal records, including arrest records, may be released at the discretion of the custodian agency or may not be made public at all. For example, juvenile arrest records are prohibited from being public. Meanwhile, records of sex offenders, crimes against minors, and criminal investigatory files, are subject to discretionary releases.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Some of the information found in Harrisonburg County arrest records includes the following:

• The arrestee’s personally identifiable information;
  • Full name (first and last name)
  • Date of birth
  • Address
• The arrestee’s physical description;
  • Mugshot
  • Race
  • Gender
  • Height and weight
  • Eyes and hair color
• Offense details;
  • Type of offense (i.e., misdemeanor or felony)
  • Description of the offense and applicable statute
• Arrest and booking information;
  • Arrest date, time, and location
  • Arresting agency’s details
  • Booking number, date, time, and facility
• Bond details
• Charges
• Court date and location

Harrisonburg County Arrest Statistics

According to statistics provided by the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association 2023 Crime Report, out of a population of 55,990 persons, Harrisonburg County reported 2,327 arrests in 2023. Of the total, 810 (34.8%) were for group A offenses, including arson, assault, bribery, burglary, stolen property offenses, and weapon law violations, to name a few. Meanwhile, 1,517 (65.2%) were for group B offenses, such as bad checks, vagrancy violations, driving under the influence, drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and others.

On the other hand, Harrisonburg County reported 2,051 arrests in 2022, according to the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association 2022 Crime Report. By implication, the number of arrests in Harrisonburg County increased by 12.6% in 2023.

Find Harrisonburg County Arrest Records

Record seekers can obtain local arrest records in Harrisonburg by querying the Harrisonburg Police Department. Queries can be made in person or by mail. For in-person requests, requesters can visit the Public Safety Building lobby during office hours (Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Alternatively, record seekers can prepare a written request and mail it to the Police Department. The request should contain information that identifies the desired record, such as the arrest date and the arrestee’s name. Mail-in requesters should also provide their contact information in their request to enable communication between themselves and the police department. Mail-in requests can be submitted to:

Custodian of Records
Harrisonburg Police Department
101 N. Main St
Harrisonburg, VA 22802

Harrisonburg criminal arrest records are also available through the Virginia State Police (VSP). Interested persons can obtain arrest records through the VSP by requesting a Virginia Criminal Record Check. The check will reveal any arrest records and other criminal records an individual has in Virginia. The VSP provides downloadable request forms that interested parties can complete and submit to request a Virginia Criminal Record Check. Fortunately, the VSP also provides detailed instructions on completing and using these request forms, as well as information on the accompanying cost for the check.

Free Arrest Record Search in Harrisonburg County

Interested parties may be able to view Harrisonburg arrest records for free in person at the Harrisonburg Police Department. As explained previously, record seekers can make requests to inspect or copy public arrest records through the Police Department in the lobby of the Public Safety Building. While record inspection may be free, requesters are usually charged a fee for copies of arrest records furnished to them. The fee is typically the estimated cost of producing copies of the requested record.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

It varies depending on the type of arrest record. According to the Library of Virginia Retention and Disposition Schedule, law enforcement agencies, like the Harrisonburg Police Department, can maintain the following types of arrest records for the given durations:

• Adult arrest file - 100 years after birth
• Adult arrest file after receiving notification of the subject’s death - one (1) year after the notification is received.
• Juvenile arrest files - 23 Years after birth
• Arrest logs/books - 5 Years after last action
• Arrestee Personal Property Inventory - 3 Years after creation
• Records of properties confiscated during an arrest - 3 Years after last action
• Unexecuted arrest warrants - not recorded

Expunge Harrisonburg County Arrest Records

An arrest record expungement is a legal process that removes an arrest record from public records, effectively restricting the general public’s access to the record. Having a public arrest record can affect different aspects of an individual’s life. It can hinder an individual’s ability to obtain employment, education, and credit. Individuals with eligible criminal records, including arrest records, can file a petition to have their eligible arrest record expunged to circumvent these hindrances. Under Virginia Code § 19.2-392.2, only individuals who were arrested and acquitted of a crime or those whose charges were dismissed are eligible to have their arrest record expunged.

Eligible persons can complete the Petition for Expungement Form, file it with the Rockingham Circuit Court, and pay the required filing fee to apply for an arrest record expungement. Note that some petitioners may qualify for a filing fee waiver. The petition would also be served to the Commonwealth’s Attorney within the jurisdiction. Subsequently, the petitioner can take their petition to the Harrisonburg Police Department to get fingerprinted and request their criminal history report from the Central Criminal Records Exchange. Once the petitioner receives their criminal history report, they send it to the court where they initially filed their expungement petition, and a hearing will be scheduled.

The petitioner can plead their case for an expungement on their scheduled hearing date. They should bring evidence to support their case. If the expungement is granted, a court order will be issued. Subsequently, the order would be forwarded to the Virginia State Police and Harrisonburg Police Department.

Harrisonburg County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a legally enforceable directive issued by a judge, magistrate, or clerk of any court (circuit, district, or juvenile and domestic relations court). It directs law enforcement agencies to arrest an individual for an alleged offense. The issuance of arrest warrants in Harrisonburg is governed by Virginia Code § 19.2-72. Under the statute, an arrest warrant may be issued when a criminal offense complaint is filed with an officer authorized to issue warrants, provided there is sufficient probable cause to believe that the accused has committed the alleged offense. After extensive investigations, law enforcement officials, such as peace officers and attornies, typically file criminal offense complaints.

According to Virginia Code § 19.2-72 arrest warrant must:

• Be directed to an appropriate officer(s)
• Name the accused or contain descriptions that can be used to identify them.
• Describe the charged offense
• Command that the accused gets arrested.
• Be signed by the issuing officer.

Do Harrisonburg County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Once issued, an arrest warrant remains active indefinitely until the subject is apprehended, turns themselves in, or dies. Hence, once an individual discovers a warrant for their arrest, they are advised to turn themselves in or work with a licensed attorney to explore other options for resolving the warrant. For instance, an attorney can assist in petitioning the issuing court to have a warrant recalled if it was unjustly issued.