Shawano County Arrest Records

When a person's actions threaten public safety or violate a statute/ordinance, law enforcement officials may deem it necessary to arrest such a person. In Shawano County, arrests may occur upon probable cause, usually when someone is found committing a crime or is reasonably suspected of an illegal act. The court can also issue a warrant directing a person's arrest.

Arrest records are a category of criminal justice documents that typically originate from such enforcement actions. The Shawano County arrest records serve legal, administrative, and informational purposes. For instance, members of the public can obtain these records to understand the circumstances of an arrest. These records are also often included in other official records created within the justice system, such as the Shawano County court records and criminal history files.

Are Arrest Records Public in Shawano County?

Yes. Shawano arrest records are generally considered public under Wisconsin's Public Records Law. Under this law, anyone may inspect public arrest records and request copies if they wish. (Wis. Stat. § 19.35(1)).

However, certain records are exempt from public disclosure. They include:

• Records exempt under a state or federal law
• Law enforcement investigative records
• Protected information, including social security numbers, financial account numbers, employer and tax IDs, passport numbers, and driver's license numbers (Wis. Stat. § 801.19)
• Records that, if disclosed, may endanger a person's life or safety or identify a confidential informant
• Juvenile arrest and criminal records
• Records that have been expunged

Generally, access to exempt records depends on whether the sought-after information aligns with permissible uses under state law.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

When searching for Shawano County public arrest records, one may come across the following information:

• Arrestee's Personal Information: The full name (including aliases), birth date, gender, and race of the apprehended person.
• Arrest Details: The date, time, and place of the arrest, as well as the arresting entity.
• Charge/Offense Information: A list of charges on which the arrestee is being held, including the type and classification (e.g., misdemeanor, felony) and a brief description of the alleged offense.
• Court Information: The court handling the case and the case/docket number.
• Custody Details: Booking number and date, as well as the current custody status of the arrestee (e.g., in jail, released on bail)

Shawano County Arrest Statistics

According to the UCR Arrest Data released by the Wisconsin Bureau of Justice Information and Analysis (BJIA), law enforcement agencies in Shawano County made 1,896 arrests in 2023. The Shawano County Sheriff's Office reported 933 arrests, whereas the Shawana Police Department recorded 572 arrests. Together, they arrested 391 juveniles and 1,505 adults that year.

Of Shawano County's 2023 arrest total, 24 crimes were considered violent, with aggravated assault as the top offense arrest at 15 reported incidents. Meanwhile, crimes involving property totaled 152 arrests, with larceny theft (91) as the most prevalent. Drug offenses totaled 241 arrests, and drug possession-marijuana offenses were the most common (125 arrests). Lastly, crimes against society constituted 634 arrests, with disorderly conduct (297) as the most recurring arrest.

A cumulative 845 of the county's recorded arrests were classified as other offenses, which included simple assault (124 arrests), offenses against family and children (1), human trafficking (0), manslaughter by negligence (0), and all other offenses (720) not categorized in the UCR program.

Find Shawano County Arrest Records

Several local, state, and federal resources are available to find arrest records created in Shawano County and look up information about inmates.

• Local Law Enforcement: Interested persons may visit the municipal police agency that made an arrest to request related records. For example, one can send an open records request to the county sheriff's office at scsheriff@shawanocountywi.gov or visit the sheriff's office to request an inspection of public arrest records.

405 North Main Street
Shawano, WI 54166
Phone: (715) 526-7905
Fax: (715) 524-5181

The sheriff can also provide information about those held or incarcerated in the Shawano County Jail.

• Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) Inmate Locator: The DOC's inmate locator can be used to find people who may have been arrested in Shawano County but were sentenced to a state penitentiary. The tool can be searched by name, address, identification number, or offender status.
• Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS): Individuals can access the WORCS portal to view a person's criminal history online, which may include arrest information. Users can establish an account or use the public access option to submit a search. This service requires a fee for processing and, if requested, certification. The Wisconsin Department of Justice's (DOJ) website has more information about conducting statewide background checks.

Other alternatives for finding Shawano County arrest records include submitting a criminal background check request to the FBI or using third-party aggregate websites. Each of these requires fees.

Free Arrest Record Search in Shawano County

Persons searching for free arrest records in Shawano County may query local authorities mentioned earlier, whether online or offline (in person). However, obtaining copies may attract a fee.

Third-party aggregate websites are another alternative for finding free arrest records. However, one may need to register to access the search results.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests generally remain on a person's record forever. However, Wisconsin law permits the expungement (removal) of certain arrest records from the public view, depending on the case type or circumstances.

Expunge Shawano County Arrest Records

Expungement refers to the legal procedure of removing records from the public's perusal. In Shawano County, eligible individuals can either expunge their court records (if charged with a crime) and criminal history information (if no charges resulted).

Criminal History Information

An individual can apply to expunge arrests from their Wisconsin Criminal History Information via a special request to the Crime Information Bureau (CIB). However, they can only apply if charges were not filed against them, the charges were dismissed, or they received a non-guilty verdict.

To file for this kind of expungement, the applicant should submit a Fingerprint Record Removal Request to the CIB, following the guidelines in the criminal history removal brochure.

Court Records

When a court expunges a criminal court record, it seals all records relating to a conviction from its public repository. Individuals seeking to expunge their criminal court records in Shawano must meet the state's eligibility requirements.

For instance, if a defendant was under 25 years at the time of conviction for a nonviolent crime and has completed a sentence of not more than six years in prison, they are eligible to have their court records expunged (Wis. Stat. § 973.015).

More information about court record expungements is available on the Wisconsin Expungement of a Criminal Conviction Record.

Shawano County Arrest Warrants

Shawano County arrest warrants are written documents issued by a judge empowering law enforcement to arrest a person, provided that there is a complaint, affidavit, or sworn testimony (probable cause) that the person has committed an offense.

Per Wis. Stat 968.04, an arrest warrant is issued in writing and contains the following:

• The offense committed, and the statute violated
• A copy of the complaint
• Name of the warrant's subject or a sufficient description
• The issue date
• Name and title of the judge who issued the arrest warrant
• An authorization for law enforcement officers to arrest the person and bring them before a judge

Do Shawano County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, arrest warrants in Shawano County do not expire. Instead, they remain active until the individual is arrested and brought before a court or the court withdraws the warrant for other reasons.