Kenosha County Arrest Records

Arrest records in Kenosha County provide summaries of arrests carried out by law enforcement agents in the county. These agents can take persons into custody if there are warrants for their arrests or without warrants if there is probable cause that an individual broke the law, for instance, at the crime scene.

Following arrests, suspects may be kept in a police holding cell or booked into the Kenosha County Jail (Pre-trial Facility) and have their information collected during this stage. Meanwhile, the arresting agents will also create a report of the arrest incident, and these records can be made available to the court.

Note: Information in arrest records may also be available in other records, such as Kenosha County court records, inmate records, and criminal records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Kenosha County?

Kenosha County arrest records are mostly public in line with Wisconsin Public Records Law. Therefore, interested persons may view or obtain copies of arrest records from Kenosha law enforcement agencies, provided that they satisfy request conditions and that the requested record is not exempted from public disclosure by law. Examples of exempted records or information include:

• Active investigation reports
• Driver’s license number, social security numbers, and other personal identifying information
• Juvenile arrest records
• Information on confidential informants and underage victims
• Sealed or expunged records
• Other records deemed confidential by law

Confidential sections can be redacted from copies given to the public if they do not comprise most of the record. Otherwise, requesters must be expressly granted the right to access by law, record subjects, or court order (after successful petitions) to view or obtain exempted records or information.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Information in Kenosha arrest records may differ depending on the case and the agency that created the record. However, a typical arrest record in Kenosha County includes the following information:

• Personal information such as the arrestee's full name and date of birth
• Physical description includes race, sex, height, weight, hair, and eye color.
• Arresting officer and agency
• Mugshot
• Arrest date and location
• Offense, charges, and statute description
• Warrant information and release conditions
• Housing information
• Case number and court details (if applicable).

Kenosha County Crime Rate

According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR), Kenosha County reported 50 violent crimes and 253 property crimes in 2019. Violent crimes consisted of 7 robberies, 12 rape cases, and 31 aggravated assaults. On the other hand, property crimes comprised six arsons, 11 motor vehicle thefts (MVT), and 216 larceny thefts.

Compared to the 2018 UCR statistics, there was a 19% increase in violent crimes (42 cases) and a 30.6% decrease in property crimes (365 cases). Categories that witnessed increased crime rates included rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and arson. Whereas reports of murder, burglary, MVT, and larceny-theft had reduced crime rates.

Kenosha County Arrest Statistics

In 2022, the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department reported 1,559 arrests to the FBI through the National Incident-Based Reporting System. According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, the offense categories with the most arrests for that year included drug abuse violations (234), larceny-theft (209), DUIs (159), simple assault (143), and disorderly conduct (139).

Compared to this, the Kenosha Police Department recorded 3,321 arrests in the same year. The crimes with the most frequent arrests included simple assault (494), drug abuse violations (479), disorderly conduct (437), DUI 276, and larceny theft (160). The arrest statistics of previous years show similarities in crime trends.

Find Kenosha County Arrest Records

Since Wisconsin law requires law enforcement agencies to submit fingerprint arrest or booking information into the central repository, interested persons may find Kenosha County arrest records in public databases or indexes offered and maintained by state or federal agencies. Therefore, the inmate search tools provided by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections or Federal Bureau of Prisons can help get arrest information on current and released inmates.

Users can search the database by providing the inmate’s number, name, and other relevant identifying information. Such platforms provide information on inmates incarcerated in their respective state or federal prisons before or after sentencing. Therefore, information on persons housed in Kenosha County Jail or Detention Center may only be available locally.

Free Arrest Record Search in Kenosha County

Record seekers may get free access to Kenosha County arrest records with the Sheriff’s inmate lookup tool. This public index of inmate information will include each offender’s arrest and offense details. Users can view the jail roster or search this index according to the inmate’s name, booking number, date of birth, booking date, etc. Further case information may be available in court records and found online with the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access portal.

Alternatively, since viewing records in person is mostly free, interested persons can directly request to inspect records at the specific Kenosha law enforcement agency that carried out the arrest.

Kenosha Police Department and County Sheriff’s Department
1000 55th Street,
Kenosha, WI 53140,
Phone: (262) 656-1234
Phone: (262) 605-5100
Fax: (262) 605-5130

Pleasant Prairie Police Department
8600 Green Bay Rd,
Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158,
Phone: (262) 694-7105

Salem Lakes Police Department
9814 Antioch Rd,
Salem, WI 53168,
Phone: (262) 843-2366

Twin Lakes Police Department
920 Lance Dr,
Twin Lakes, WI 53181,
Phone: (262) 877-9056

Somers Police Department
7511 12th St,
Kenosha, WI 53144,
Phone: (262) 859-2214

However, this means of accessing records for free has several constraints including limited time of access and a more tedious process.

Lastly, free access to Kenosha County arrest records is also possible with third-party sites. These platforms may provide free tools that users can use to search their extensive database and find the necessary records. However, it may be difficult to verify the accuracy of search results.

Get Kenosha County Criminal Records

Kenosha County criminal records provide information on an individual’s criminal history in the county, including arrests, prosecution, and court disposition. As per Wisconsin Public Records Law, criminal records are public in Kenosha County and available through courts and law enforcement agencies.

The Kenosha Police Department and County Sheriff provides local background check services through the Kenosha Joint Service. Interested persons can get criminal records by submitting or sending completed request forms in person or via mail to:

1000 55th Street,
Kenosha, Wisconsin 53140
Fax: (262) 653-6909 (Records)
Email: records@kenoshajs.org

Alternatively, the Kenosha County Clerk of Courts provides criminal court records for cases heard in the Circuit Court. Records seekers get these records by directing record requests to the Clerk at:

Kenosha County Courthouse
912 56th Street
Kenosha, WI 53140
Fax: (262) 653-2435

Record seekers may also find criminal court records online through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) portal. Additionally, through its Criminal History Unit, the Wisconsin Department of Justice maintains and provides statewide criminal history record information (CHRI). Individuals and organizations may conduct name-based background checks through the Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS).

Meanwhile, eligible persons like employers and landlords can conduct fingerprint checks via mail and through state-approved vendors and receive results through WORCS. However, users need to register to use this system. Note that name-based check results may be less reliable due to false matches and cases of mistaken identity.

Regardless of the agency, requesters must provide relevant details like the subject’s name, date of birth, sex, race, and case number to help locate the needed record.

Kenosha County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

The major difference between arrest and criminal records in Kenosha County is the range of information provided in each type of record. Kenosha arrest records are generally smaller in scope, providing information about circumstances surrounding a specific arrest incident and not granting case disposition details.

However, criminal records usually summarize cases up to disposition/conviction or an individual’s criminal history within a jurisdiction, regardless of the number of incidents or offenses. Furthermore, criminal records maintained by statewide repositories accumulate information submitted by law enforcement agencies, courts, prosecutors, and even correctional agencies.

Hence, arrest records cannot serve as proof of conviction or provide adequate information on a person’s criminal history.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Kenosha County, an arrest shall remain on one's record forever unless expunged. As long as the fingerprinted arrest is submitted into the central database managed by the DOJ Crime Information Bureau (CIB), the arrest record shall remain unless expunged and even this must first be requested by eligible persons.

Expunge Kenosha County Arrest Records

State laws require Kenosha County law enforcement agencies to submit records of fingerprinted arrests into a central database. As per Wisconsin State Statute § 165.84(1), the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) can remove the arrest information from the record if:

• All reported offenses were cleared by the court, not prosecuted, or the offender was released without charge.
• The record subject completed a first-offender program, which resulted in dismissals, no prosecution, or deferred prosecution.
• The juvenile arrest resulted in no prosecution or dismissed charges

The crucial criteria for DOJ arrest record expungement include having no charges, having ALL charges dismissed by the court or prosecution, or being found not guilty (acquitted). Therefore, having some charges dismissed or being convicted will make the record ineligible for expunction.

Eligible persons can request expungement by sending completed application forms and supporting documents to:

Crime Information Bureau
Attn: Criminal Records Unit
P.O. Box 2718
Madison, WI 53701-2718

Upon approval, the DOJ will delete the arrest records from their database so that when members of the public conduct background checks, the expunged information will not be available in search results. The DOJ will also notify the FBI to remove the related documents from their record.

However, removing DOJ arrest information does not affect the records maintained by other law enforcement agencies like the Kenosha County Sheriff or local police. However, the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department will consider removing arrest information from their inmate search portal if persons can prove that the DOJ expunged arrest records from their repository.

Additionally, DOJ expungements are not the same as court record expungements and do not seal court records. To expunge conviction records from court files, interested persons must meet the statutory requirements for criminal record expungement and petition the court in line with state laws.

Kenosha County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants in Kenosha County are written orders issued by judges authorizing the arrest of persons. A judge can order an arrest after a prosecutor or law enforcement officer provides sufficient evidence to prove probable cause of having committed a crime.

Unlike bench warrants issued to apprehend individuals who failed to appear in court as scheduled, arrest warrants are issued in relation to a specific crime committed in the county.

Kenosha County arrest warrants may also be issued after previously arrested persons violate the conditions of release and in cases of overdue payment of court fines or fees. Generally, arrest warrants contain the following information:

• The issuing judge’s name and title
• The crime(s) and offense date
• Specific code under which the offense falls
• The offender’s name and description
• The command for the offender’s apprehension
• The warrant’s issuing date.

Kenosha County Arrest Warrant Search

Persons with ongoing cases can conduct online case searches on the WCCA portal or contact the particular Kenosha County Court to determine if any warrant has been issued in connection with the case. Arrest warrant information may also be available in the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department. Interested persons may contact the Public Information Sergeant online or the Sheriff’s Department at:

1000 55th Street
Kenosha, WI 53140
Phone: (262) 605-5100
Fax: (262) 605-5130

Do Kenosha County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Kenosha County arrest warrants do not expire. Once issued, an arrest warrant can only be executed upon arrest or canceled/recalled by the issuing judge. Otherwise, the warrant shall continue to exist.