Craven County Arrest Records

In Craven County, law enforcement officers arrest individuals who contravene the law or pose a threat to public order. If there is reasonable suspicion that an individual has committed or was in the process of committing an offense, he can be arrested with or without a warrant. Upon arrest, the offender is booked and taken into custody until released on a bond or taken to court.

Craven County arrest records include reports, documents, and logs containing information on arrests in the county. These usually provide information about the arrestee, the arresting agency or agent, and the reason for arrest. In the County, arrest records are created by the Sheriff’s office and other law enforcement agencies and then forwarded to the County Jail and Courts. According to North Carolina Laws, the Sheriff’s office must grant the public access to Craven County Court Records upon request.

Are Arrest Records Public in Craven County?

Yes. Per the North Carolina Public Records Law, arrest records are open for scrutiny by anyone interested. However, some information concerning arrests is confidential and legally out of the public domain. Such exemptions include arrest records containing any of the following:

• Account numbers, social security numbers, and other personally identifiable information
• Criminal Investigation and innocence inquiry records
• Recordings created by law enforcement agencies
• Pretrial documents and information
• Juvenile information

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The following information is typically included in arrest records:

• The offender's complete name set, sex, ethnicity, and birth date;
• The biological descriptions of the offender, including weight, height, hair color, race, nose shape, and eye color;
• Mugshots/photographs of the suspect;
• The class and degree of offense committed;
• Booking and arrest information;
• The outcome of the arrest;
• Active warrants, probation, and parole programs to which the offender is a record subject.
• Personally identifying information about the suspect, including full name, aliases, age, and address;
• Photograph;
• Details of the charges relating to the arrest;
• The arrest location and time;
• The name of the investigating or arresting law enforcement agency;
• The suspect's incarceration or custody status;
• Booking details.

Craven County Crime Rate

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) compiles and aggregates crime statistics in each county across the state. The SBI gathers information for the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which is a nationwide initiative.

Based on crime statistics obtained from various jurisdictions within the County, the violent crime rate is 16.8%. On the other hand, the overall incidence of violent crime across the country is 22.7%, implying that Craven County is among the regions with a low propensity for violent crime incidents in the United States. However, the rate of property crimes in Craven County is 48.7% against the 35.4% obtainable across the US.

Craven County Arrest Statistics

Within three years, Craven County had 4,411 arrests. In 2014, the arrest rate was 992.88 per 100,000 population, 28.25% higher than the national average. The Craven Correctional Institution has an offender capacity of 850 and processes more than 400 inmates monthly.

Find Craven County Arrest Records

In Craven County, individuals who wish to access arrest records can do so at any law enforcement office. The records mostly originate from the Craven County Sheriff’s office. Other policing departments in the county, such as federal and state agencies also conduct arrests.

They all operate under different regulations and charge distinct fees for processing and disseminating arrest records. To obtain arrest records, requesters should address the Records Bureau or Unit of the Law enforcement department where the arrest was made. The Craven County Sheriff’s Office and all other law enforcement agencies in the county accept requests for arrest records in person, by mail, or electronically.

When requesting an arrest record, provide the following information:

• The name of the arrested individual
• The arrest record document number (also known as the booking number)
• The date and time of the arrest
• The arrestee's date of birth (DOB)

Requesters can contact the County Sheriff’s office at:

Craven County Sheriff's Office - New Bern
1100 Clarks Rd,
New Bern, NC 28562
Phone: (252) 636-6620

Law enforcement agencies offer access to arrest records online through a third-party service. To use this service, requesters must sign up with their full name, email address, home address, and other personal information. This third-party website allows searches for arrest records using a person's biological information (DOB) and provides results immediately.

Free Arrest Record Search in Craven County

Comprehensive arrest records of Craven County can be obtained for free from the county sheriff’s website and any other platforms provided by record owners. However, there are usually fees associated with in-person and mail requests based on the record size and if copies were made.

Some third-party aggregators freely offer arrest records in Craven County. These sites aggregate information from different sources, including the government, and store it in a database that can be freely accessed. To search any of these websites, requesters must input the name of the individual, the name of the arresting agency and other details. The free version of such a third-party website may give some details about a particular individual. The user may be asked to pay a fee or a monthly membership for further detailed and extensive searches.

Additionally, police departments in Craven County provide free in-person access to arrest records. Individuals interested in these records may check the department's in-house database in the records room. However, the government charges a fee for individuals who want to make copies of these records.

Get Craven County Criminal Records

Primarily, the Sheriff's Office is in charge of law enforcement in the county. To get criminal records in Craven County, inquirers can consult the sheriff's office at:

Craven County Sheriff's Office
1100 Clarks Rd
New Bern, NC 28562
(252) 636-6620

Requesters in Craven County may run criminal background checks through the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), North Carolina’s primary database for criminal information. Whether they seek a personal background check, an employment/licensing check, or a background check on someone else, they should review the SBI portal-based information on different request types.

To begin the procedure, the applicant must complete and print Form AOC-CR-314 and submit it to the clerk's office with a $25 fee. Mail service applicants must pay with money orders or certified checks, but in-person requesters can use credit cards, cash, money orders, or certified checks.

Craven County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

In Craven County, arrest records are quite different from criminal records. Although they are both crime-related public documents, these records differ in content, the creation process, and the custodian agency. The North Carolina State Police maintains and issues criminal records, while arrest information is primarily under the purview of the county sheriff's office.

Regarding content, arrest records contain arrest-related events and may exist as a component of criminal records. On the other hand, criminal records contain arrest information and court records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

The retention period of arrest records generally depends on the type of record and the internal policies of the various custodial agencies. Typically, arrests remain part of a person's criminal record indefinitely in Craven County unless they are expunged. State laws and statutes do not mandate a time frame to retain arrest records. However, if the arrest led to a conviction, such a record is sent to the State Bureau of Investigation and held for at least 50 years.

Expunge Craven County Arrest Records

Under the North Carolina statutes, an individual can file for the expunction of arrest records provided they meet the requisite conditions. These conditions for expungement include:

• The charges brought against the individual were dismissed, or the person was not found guilty of the offense.
• If found guilty, five years have elapsed from the time of conviction for misdemeanors and ten years for felonies.
• The Governor of the State patrons the record subject.
• The prescribed substance abuse treatment has been fulfilled, and the individual has refrained from the use of drugs for a period in cases of substance abuse arrests.
• No active warrant or pending probation/parole is attached to the record subject.
• All court-ordered fines and restitutions have been satisfied.

To file an expungement petition, individuals should follow these steps:

• Visit the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts' website and download the approved expungement form for each offense type, age, and conviction status.
• Fill out the form and attach a certified copy of the court order acquitting the individual of the charges or stating the Governor's pardon.
• Appear before a Notary Public to swear to the contents of the completed form.
• Mail the necessary documents to the clerk of the courthouse in the county where the case was heard

Individuals should send their expungement petition to:

North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts
P.O. Box 2448
Raleigh, NC 27602-2448

If applicable, requesters must pay the $175 expungement filing fee by check or money order.

Upon completion of the expungement petition process, the court or AOC will review the petition and decide whether the record should be expunged. In some cases, the judge may request a court hearing to ascertain whether the petitioner has good standing for the expungement.

If the petition is granted, the affected law enforcement agencies will be notified and given 30 days to object. Suppose no objection arises within the stipulated period or the judge dismisses the objections raised. In that case, the court orders the record custodian to seal and restrict such records from public access. The clerk also issues a copy of the expungement order to the petitioner.

Craven County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a legal document allowing an officer of the law to arrest a suspect and hold them while the authorities investigate the crime. The warrant requires the accused individual to appear in court to face charges. Failing to comply with a valid arrest warrant, when able to do so, can be considered contempt of court.

To get an arrest warrant, a police officer shows evidence of probable cause to a prosecutor. The prosecutor carefully examines the evidence to ensure it is legally sufficient. If the prosecutor finds probable cause, they draft an affidavit outlining the evidence and submit it to the court for approval.

The Judge then examines the evidence presented in the affidavit. An arrest warrant is issued only when the judge is satisfied that the evidence meets the probable cause threshold. This judicial oversight checks law enforcement and prosecution to ensure arrests follow the rule of law. Once the judge issues the arrest warrant, it is entered into law enforcement databases.

An arrest warrant typically includes the following information:

• The name of the court that issued the warrant.
• The name of the defendant.
• Their physical description includes height, weight, hair color, eye color, and other unique features that may help identify them.
• The criminal offense charged against the individual.
• The official issuing date of the warrant
• The signature of the judge issuing the warrant.
• The bail amount

Craven County Arrest Warrant Search

The Craven County Sheriff’s Office allows interested individuals to search for active warrants through its online portal. The website also displays information on police reports and arrest records of Craven County. Residents can also access Craven County arrest records through the portal.

Alternatively, searchers can check for active warrants in person by visiting the Sheriff's Office during business hours. Additionally, the Clerk of Courts maintains records of current warrants, which can be retrieved online or by physically visiting the Clerk's office at:

Craven Superior Court
302 Broad St
New Bern, NC 28560
P.O. Box 1187
New Bern, NC 28563
Phone: (252) 639-3000
Fax: (252) 639-3030

Do Craven County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Craven County arrest warrants are not restricted by any statute, even if the crime was committed in the distant past. The warrant only gets invalidated after the record subject resolves it or upon recall by the court. The individual should report to the county courthouse to clear an active warrant.