Union County Arrest Records

Arrests become necessary in Union County, North Carolina when a person is suspected of or discovered breaking the law. Following any arrest in Union County, the suspect is taken into police custody and transferred to the nearest detention facility. This facility is usually the Union County Jail for adult suspects, which the Union County Sheriff's Office (USCO) operates.

The individual's personal information, belongings, and fingerprints will be collected at the detention center. The booking and arresting agency will also create different reports, including the initial arrest report, to document the incident. After these procedures, the suspect may be released on bail, on their own recognizance (ROR), given a court appearance date, or kept in the facility until they can see a judge. In some instances, the suspect may be released without charges.

As a suspect goes through the criminal justice system in Union County, their arrest information may be added to other official or public records, such as the Union County court records, if a prosecutor files charges in court. However, the presence of an arrest record does not mean that the subject was found guilty of an offense.

Are Arrest Records Public in Union County?

Yes, arrest records are publicly accessible in Union County. Under North Carolina's Public Records Law, many records of law enforcement agencies, including arrest reports, are open to the public. As a result, anyone can submit an arrest record inquiry to a police department in Union County.

Still, access restrictions exist where a record may be related to a minor, an ongoing investigation, or pending litigation. In such cases, only the subject of the record or parties permitted by law may be allowed access.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Section 132-1.4(c) of the North Carolina General Statutes lists information typically available in a Union County public arrest record to include:

• The full name and image of the arrested person
• The arrestee's sex, age, employment, address, and primary charge(s)
• The arrestee's eye color, hair color, weight, height, and other physical descriptors
• The arrest's circumstances, such as the time and place, weapons possessed or used by the suspect during the incident, items confiscated in connection with the arrest, and whether the arrest involved resistance or pursuit
• Booking information, such as the booking agency, time, date, and location
• Court information, including the next court date and the presiding court's name

Union County Crime Rate

The North Carolina Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) publishes yearly crime rates and statistics for all counties in the state, including the County of Union.

According to the NCSBI's 2022 Summary Crime Statistics, Union County reported 3,855 index crimes in 2022, a 2.7% change from the previous year. Violent index crimes (murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery) accounted for 506 of the total. Meanwhile, property index crimes (burglary, arson, larceny, motor vehicle theft) accounted for the remaining 3,349 offenses.

Union County's most popular index crimes in 2022 were Larceny (2,528 offenses), burglary (578 offenses), and Aggravated Assault (370 offenses). The county's overall crime rate in 2022 was 1,607.2 per 100,000 population. Specifically, the violent crime rate was 211.0 per 100,000 people, while the property crime rate was 1.396.2 per 100,000 people.

Union County Arrest Statistics

Law enforcement departments in Union County recorded 2,849 arrests in 2022. Of this total, 2,650 were adult (18 years and over) arrests, and 199 were juvenile (under 18) arrests.

The most popular offenses for which more people were arrested in Union County were:

• Other Assaults - Non-Aggravated (481 arrests).
• Driving Under the Influence (379 arrests).
• Possession - Marijuana (303 arrests).

Overall, index crimes resulted in 372 arrests in Union County, whereas non-index crimes made up 2,373 of the arrest total.

Find Union County Arrest Records

Members of the public can obtain Union County arrest records from regional police departments. Public copies of arrest records can be obtained online via the local Sheriff's Daily Bulletin and Arrest/Incident Search webpages, which provide chronological listings of arrest occurrences within the county. These databases are accessible at no charge and offer information such as an arrestee's full name and photograph, the initial charge(s), the arresting officer, the arrest time and date, and the arrest location.

At the same time, a person can submit a formal query to the police department responsible for an arrest. Local police agencies typically accept in-person inquiries at their physical locations during regular working hours. They may also provide alternative methods for requests, such as via email. Details such as the involved person's name, incident date/location, or report number will be required from the requester to process an order. Copies of arrest reports are typically provided to the public free of charge in Union County.

Note that when a federal agency makes an arrest in Union County, records about the suspect or incident may not be found with the Sheriff's Office or other local police agencies. The Sheriff runs the local jail, the primary booking facility or intake center for most persons arrested in Union County. If a suspect was taken to the local jail and placed on hold for transfer or until their court appearance, the Sheriff's Office may be contacted for any related records. One may also access the Federal Inmate Locator to determine where a federal suspect is being held. Subsequently, they can contact the detention facility or the arresting federal agency for more details.

Free Arrest Record Search in Union County

To perform a free arrest record search in Union County, a person may access the Union County Sheriff's Office Daily Bulletin or Arrest/Incident Search databases. These platforms facilitate cost-free searches for local arrests or crime incidents and offer multiple keywords to find police records, such as a date range, suspect's name, or address/location.

Moreover, people querying a municipal police department in Union for an arrest record can usually obtain information without payment.

Third-party public records websites are also a practical alternative for people who do not wish to incur expenses for their arrest records search. These sites can be searched via name or other relevant criteria to find arrest records and other public records connected with a search subject. However, fees may be charged to acquire detailed information about a subject or retrieve records from other jurisdictions.

Get Union County Criminal Records

Criminal records, sometimes called criminal history records or rap sheets, carry important information about someone's criminal past, including their arrests, charges, and convictions. In North Carolina, these records are maintained by different agencies, such as the courts, law enforcement divisions, prosecutor's offices, and correctional departments. As such, one must consider the kind of criminal record they require to know which custodian to approach.

For instance, individuals seeking information about a person's criminal court proceedings and outcomes can query the Union County Superior Clerk's Office. Requesters can stop by the clerk's office at the Union County Judicial Center (the local courthouse) to use public access computers for research. They can also call (704) 698-3100 to discuss the search process with staff. At the same time, a person can complete Form AOC-CR-314 to obtain a certified criminal record check on themselves or others. This check costs $25 and retrieves all criminal court records associated with the search subject in Union County.

On the other hand, those requiring a more comprehensive check can submit fingerprints to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation or Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, these types of record requests are limited to the subject of the record and other authorized parties under the law, such as employers or licensing entities.

The Union County Sheriff's Office provides fingerprinting services to residents who wish to obtain their criminal records from the NCSBI, also known as the Right to Review Process. Fingerprinting costs $1, plus an additional $1 service charge. Each applicant will need to submit their complete set of fingerprints, proof of identity, written application, and a $14 processing fee (payable by check or money order) to the NCSBI via postal mail. The application must contain their full name and address, sex, race, and date of birth. Results are returned to each requester via first-class US mail.

Members of the public who are not authorized to request records from the NCSBI can request court records, as explained earlier, or search other public criminal databases, such as the North Carolina Department of Public Safety's Criminal Offender Search and North Carolina Sex Offender Registry.

Union County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest information is a significant component of a person's criminal history record (or criminal record). However, this does not mean they are the same document.

Arrest records are essentially police documents that detail the event of an arrest. Information from these records may be incorporated into other official documents as an alleged offender progresses through the justice system. However, these records are not sufficient to ascertain a person's guilt or innocence regarding a criminal charge.

Meanwhile, a criminal record provides a broader composite of a person's criminal past. Unlike the arrest record, which limits information to an individual's arrest and initial charges, the criminal record goes further to list the formal charges filed by the prosecutor and any convictions entered or sentences resulting from a conviction.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An arrest typically remains part of a person's criminal record forever. The North Carolina legislature neither recommends nor imposes a duration upon whose expiration an arrest will automatically be expunged or deleted from a person's record. Nonetheless, people who meet the state's criteria for expungement may be able to conceal or remove their arrest records from public view.

Expunge Union County Arrest Records

An individual must be eligible under North Carolina's statutes to expunge an arrest record in Union County. With an expungement (also called an "expunction"), one can deny an arrest, charge, or conviction for which they obtained an expungement. Further, a background check into the individual's past will not reveal expunged entries (G.S. §15A-153). However, G.S. § 15A-151 and 15A-151.5 outline exemptions where such records may be reviewed, including upon the request of a judge to ascertain a previous expunction or upon request by a district attorney when pressing charges.

Because North Carolina has various expunction statutes, a person may qualify to file under one law and be precluded from filing under another. Some statutes permit expungement where the defendant was found not guilty or had their charges dismissed. Meanwhile, others allow relief for certain nonviolent felonies or misdemeanors and where a defendant was under 18 or 21 at the time of an offense, and so on. For this reason, it may be wise to seek legal counsel regarding the process. Petitioners may complete the process themselves, although it may involve reading up on laws and ensuring all applicable forms and documents are adequately prepared and completed.

Generally, expungement petition forms and instructions are available on the North Carolina Judiciary's Forms website. Parties whose arrests or charges occurred in Union County can fill out the appropriate form (i.e., the one relating to the statute being used to file for expungement). It may be necessary to obtain one's criminal history record from the NCSBI to ensure accurate details when completing the petition form.

Next, the petitioner must submit the form and a $175 filing fee (or fee waiver application, if eligible) to the Union County Superior Court Clerk's Office. The Clerk's Office can provide information about any additional local procedures the petitioner must complete or follow.

Subsequently, the court may hold a hearing to decide the petition's merits, including the petitioner's good character. In some cases, no hearing will be scheduled, and the judge will grant or deny an expungement order based on a review of the petitioner's record. Altogether, the expungement process may take several months to conclude, depending on the time needed to schedule a hearing or conduct criminal record checks.

Individuals seeking to expunge a juvenile arrest record can review the state judiciary's Juvenile Delinquency page for precise details. Additional information about the NC expungement process in general, including common FAQs, can also be obtained from the judiciary's website or by speaking to a private attorney.

Union County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a court directive instructing police personnel to apprehend and bring a person suspected of a criminal offense to court to answer the charges.

Under G.S. 15A-304, an arrest warrant can be issued by a justice, judge, magistrate, or clerk upon a law enforcement officer's request or at the court's discretion. However, this issuance cannot occur without "probable cause". Probable cause describes a set of circumstances or facts that justify a person's apprehension, including where they failed to appear when previously summoned, present a danger to persons or property, or stand accused of committing a grave offense.

Arrest warrants in Union County usually contain the following details:

• The full name of the individual to be apprehended, as well as their age, race, and sex
• The alleged crime
• The agency responsible for executing the warrant

Union County Arrest Warrant Search

Individuals seeking arrest warrants in Union County, North Carolina, can approach the local Sheriff's office. The Union County Sheriff provides an online database for finding information on wanted persons. The database can be searched by a person's last name. Members of the public can also stop by the Sheriff's office at 3370 Presson Road, Monroe, NC 28112, during regular business hours to conduct a warrant search. The Sheriff can also be reached at (704) 283-3789 for warrant inquiries.

Alternatively, one might visit the county courthouse to look up criminal case events at public access terminals and ascertain if the court released a warrant. The Union County Superior Court Clerk's Office can also be contacted at (704) 698-3100.

Do Union County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Union County arrest warrants do not expire. These written orders remain active until executed by a named suspect's arrest or surrender, dissuading people from attempting to evade the legal system. However, a court may recall an arrest warrant if sufficient grounds exist, such as finding new evidence.