The criminal court of Rensselaer County, NY, issues an order to bring a person in front of the judge to answer for a crime committed by him/her by issuing an arrest warrant, which authorizes the police to take the personal custody.
Once arrested through the use of an arrest warrant, the accused must be presented to the court at the earliest. Meanwhile, the police can question the person; however, he/she is not obligated to answer and can request that a lawyer be present.
To get an arrest warrant in Rensselaer County for detaining an individual, the Sheriff’s Department or the district attorney’s office has to provide an affidavit that states the crime committed, the person who is suspected of committing it, and the evidence available.
Based on the details provided, the magistrate considers if the evidence is enough for the prosecution to charge the individual with a felony or misdemeanor. If the evidence is sufficient, a signed warrant is issued, called an active arrest warrant.
When the person against whom the warrant has been issued is not taken into custody, the active warrant turns into an outstanding warrant in time. However, a person can be arrested through either an active or outstanding warrant at any time, even if the warrant is more than a few years old.
An individual who has a warrant out against him/her can also be arrested outside the state’s territory in which it has been issued, depending on the crime committed. If you believe that a warrant has been issued against you, it would be prudent to turn yourself in.
To find out about arrest records in Rensselaer County, NY contact the Sheriff’s Department. The address of the law enforcement agency is 4000 Main Street, Troy, NY 12180. Their fax number is 518-270-5447. You can also use the online form given above for a warrant search.
Can you get any information about Rensselaer County warrants and arrests over the phone? (2021-Update)
- Details on recent arrests and active warrants: 518-266-1900.
- Inmate search and inmate records: 518-266-1730.
- General information from the Sheriff’s Police: 518-266-7640.
- Details about a criminal case filed by you: 518-266-1981.
- Information about the Sheriff’s Work-Order Program: 518-266-2921.
- Arrest report, incident/accident records: 518-266-1903.
- Information on the issue and service of civil papers (including bench warrants): 518-266-2900.
- Details on assistance available to crime victims: 518-270-4040.
- Judicial records, case search, court dockets: 518-285-5025.
Crime Statistics for Rensselaer County, New York
In 2020, the Rensselaer Sheriff’s Department received nearly 3200 criminal complaints, including over 2700 property offenses and more than 450 crimes against people.
Almost 2,170 larceny thefts, almost 400 burglaries, and over 170 motor vehicle thefts were recorded as property offenses. Nearly 290 aggravated assaults, around 70 rapes, and around 90 robberies were among the violent offenses.
Rensselaer logged a massive increase in crime in the ten years that ended in 2008 with a rise in overall crime rates of almost 85%. However, the spike in the number of violent crimes was even more pronounced as the numbers went up from below 1000 to well over 2000 by the end of the decade.
Every year, in the period mentioned above, an estimated 3000 crimes were reported, of which the bulk were cases of theft and robbery. In contrast, incidents of sexual assault with nearly 250 reports and homicide with 25 instances were considerably rarer. Yet, almost 12 criminal cases are filed in the county every day, and in most of these instances, the victim was found to be less than a mile from his house or office.