Gaston County Arrest Records

Law enforcement officials in Gaston County are required by law to arrest anyone who commits or is suspected of committing a crime. According to Section 15A-401, a law enforcement officer can arrest an individual with or without a warrant if they justifiably believe that person has committed an offense. These offenses could range from felonies to misdemeanors.

Generally, if a suspect is arrested in Gaston County, they are booked into the nearest police station or county jail. An arrest record is formed when the police department gathers and keeps the arrestee's information and details of the arrest in a database. The suspect may then be held in a jailhouse run by the arresting police precinct until their court appearance, or they may be released. An individual can be released on bail or based on having their charges dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Arrest records from Gaston County are essential for preliminary proceedings. These documents shed light on a suspect’s criminal history. As a result, Gaston County court records are kept and stored by municipal and state custodians. Therefore, requesters can look up criminal histories and court records for Gaston County through the Clerk of the Superior Court’s Office.

Are Arrest Records Public in Gaston County?

The North Carolina Freedom of Information Act allows citizens of Gaston County to seek any public record without having to submit a justification. It states that Gaston County may access public records such as arrest records upon request sent to the state’s Department of Public Safety or Gaston County’s Clerk of Superior Court. However, there are limitations to this rule. For example, the public cannot view records that have been sealed or erased. Furthermore, documents containing private information or specifics that, if made public, could sabotage the administration of justice. For example, a person's social security number, date of birth, or home address cannot be released without the record subject’s permission.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The specifics may differ based on the circumstances surrounding the arrest, but public arrest records normally contain the following details:

• The name, age, and address of the arrestee.
• When and where the arrest took place.
• Identifying information of the officer who completed the arrest.
• The charges that were filed against the arrestee.
• The bail amount (where applicable).
• Any other information that may be related to the arrest, such as witnesses or evidence collected at the crime scene.

Remember that an arrest record just certifies that a person accused of committing a crime has been taken into custody by the police. It doesn't always imply conviction or guilt.

Gaston County Crime Rate

Through its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) programme, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) releases yearly summaries of criminal activity throughout the state. According to the UCR study, 961 crimes total—141 violent crimes and 820 property crimes—were reported in Gaston County in 2019. There has been one murder, seventeen rape cases, twenty robberies, and one hundred and three instances of aggravated assault documented. In 2019, there were 267 burglaries, 105 car thefts, and 448 occurrences of larceny—the most common property crime in the county—in Gaston County. Six arson cases were also reported. In 2019, the overall crime rate in Gaston County decreased by 18%.

Gaston County Arrest Statistics

According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, there were a total of 6,118 arrests in Gaston County in 2022. Of those arrests, 997 were for the possession of marijuana and other dangerous drugs. Aggravated assault and other kinds of assault saw 908b arrests. Meanwhile, there were 55 arrests for larceny theft.

Find Gaston County Arrest Records

Inmate records are official documents for detention, and correctional centers maintain them to keep track of incarcerated individuals in their facilities. Gaston County residents can access inmate records in two main ways. First, they can use the online inmate database offered by the Gaston County Sheriff's Office to locate inmate records for Gaston County. Interested parties must input the inmate’s booking number, first and last names, and the booking date range. If users know the precise housing facility, they may also mention it. The database shows physical characteristics, an offender's complete name, and other demographic data. In addition, the offender's booking photo, charge description, criminal class, bond information, and booking history are all available.

Please be aware that the online prisoner search will only yield results for the current year and the two years prior. Those interested in learning more should get in touch with the:

Gaston County Sheriff's Office
425 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Gastonia, NC 28052
Phone: (704) 869-6800

Record seekers can also find inmate information through the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NC DPS), which manages the operations of all state prisons. The department offers an inmate locator on their website to assist with conducting an inmate search in state prisons and obtaining inmate records. In North Carolina, police departments and sheriff's offices oversee local jails. The public can request an inmate lookup from these local law enforcement agencies, who maintain their jail and inmate data.

Free Arrest Record Search in Gaston County

There are several ways for interested parties to look for arrest records in Gaston County. They can accomplish this by going through the office of the Clerk of the Superior Court. Alternatively, the public can look up Gaston County arrest records using databases of public records maintained by third parties. County residents can enter the first and last name of the record subject to conduct a free search on third-party websites. Parties should be aware that they may be required to pay a fee for a more thorough report.

Get Gaston County Criminal Records

According to state law, criminal records for Gaston County are accessible to the public. Requests for information about third-party criminal histories can be sent to the Gaston County Clerk of Superior Court. Fill out the request form by providing the subject's name to be searched and details about the requestor, including their address and name. $25 is required to process the request, and payment can be made to the "Gaston County Clerk of Superior Court" with a certified cheque or money order. In-person requests for Gaston's criminal records can be made by going to the Clerk's Office and paying in cash or with a credit card from American Express, MasterCard, Visa, or Discover. Use the following details to visit or submit the form:

Clerk of Superior Court
Gaston County Courthouse
325 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Suite 1004
Gastonia, NC 28052
Phone: (704) 852-3100

Gaston County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

An official document in Gaston County summarizing a particular arrest is called an arrest record. Usually, this kind of document would include:

• Name and birthdate of the offender
• Physical characteristics of the arrested person, such as height, weight, eye and hair color, etc.
• Charges Against the Offender
• Where the offense occurred
• The arresting officer's name

On the other hand, criminal records in Gaston County include every detail of a person's criminal history, including any contacts with police enforcement. A criminal record, sometimes referred to as a rap sheet or criminal history, typically includes details like:

• Reports of incidents and police arrests
• ongoing court cases
• convictions for crimes

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest records in North Carolina typically remain on a person's record as long as they are not sealed or removed. The arrest remains on a person’s record even if the police withdraw their charges or the person is found not guilty.

Expunge Gaston County Arrest Records

An expunction is a legal procedure that seals or destroys the state's records of the arrest, charge, and conviction and expunges a criminal conviction or charge from an individual's record. If someone has an expunction issued and they deny that the arrest, charge, or conviction occurred, they usually cannot be held guilty of perjury. An expungement, however, may not shield a person from the repercussions of the accusation or conviction. For instance, it probably will not keep the case from being considered in federal immigration proceedings.

Expungements are permitted for particular offenses, such as drug possession. They are also available to a specific subset of individuals, such as those younger than 18 or 21 at the time of the offense. Some statutes deal with the expunction of convictions, while others deal with the expunction of charges that were dropped or for which the defendant was found not guilty. These statutes vary depending on how the case was resolved.

Gaston County Arrest Warrants

A formal court order directing a law enforcement officer to hold a person within the state's jurisdiction is known as an arrest warrant in Gaston County. Arrest warrants are only signed and issued by judges (including magistrate judges) in response to requests from law enforcement to show probable cause. Using an arrest warrant, law enforcement officials can legally hold people being investigated for crimes, regardless of their guilt.

Law enforcement officials in North Carolina can make arrests without an active warrant if they have proof of ongoing criminal activity and believe the people being held are connected.

The following information is contained in a North Carolina arrest warrant:

• Full name and additional details that can be used to identify the subject
• An explanation of the claimed transgression
• Where and when the possible arrest occurs
• Date of expiration, if relevant
• The warrant's issuer name and issue date

Gaston County Arrest Warrant Search

Interested parties can find Gaston County arrest warrants through the county’s Jail Roster. The Sheriff’s Office maintains and updates this roster. Users simply need to input the name of the record subject, and all necessary results will appear.

Do Gaston County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants from Gaston County are good for the subject's lifetime or until the warrant's granting court or magistrate recalls it. Basically, Gaston County police officers have the right to arrest anyone at any time if they have an outstanding warrant. It is important to remember that certain types of warrants, such as search warrants, may have precise expiration dates determined by the court or magistrate who issued them.