For an arrest to be legal in New York County, NY, it has to be made under the provisions of an arrest warrant issued by a local criminal court, or the crime has to be committed in the presence of a police officer.
The procedure for the issuance of New York County, NY arrest warrants entails a formal request made by the police department to the county criminal court’s sitting judge to authorize them to arrest the individual against whom the warrant is being sought.
The judge considers the affidavit submitted with the formal request, which outlines the arrest warrant’s cause and the evidence available in the matter. If the judiciary does not find the evidence presented at this point to be adequate for filing a case in the future, the request for the arrest warrant can be declined.
However, if it’s granted, the judge signs the relevant documents, conferring the Sheriff’s department’s authority to make the arrest. When signed, an arrest warrant becomes a New York County, NY active arrest warrant.
However, if, for some reason, the active warrant cannot be served to the person in whose name it has been issued, it then becomes an outstanding arrest warrant. Arrests can and will be made under the provision of outstanding warrants as well.
To gather information on arrest records in New York County, NY, contact the Sherriff’s Department by visiting their office at Surrogate’s Court, 6th floor, 31 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007.
Another resource for an arrest warrant search is the internet; fill the form above to access an online database of arrest records.
Can you get any information about New York County warrants and arrests over the phone? (2021-Update)
- To conduct an inmate search and get information on bail and inmate services, call Central Booking (Manhattan/ New York County Division) at (212) 374-3942, 0722.
- For information on recent arrests, get in touch with the Arraignment Clerk (Manhattan/ New York County Division) at 646-386-4545, 3921.
- To learn more about accessing criminal court records, call the Central Clerk at (646) 386-4511.
- For incident/accident/arrest reports and other criminal records, contact the Records Review Unit of the NYPD At 518-457-9847, 518-485-7675.
- To file a FOIL request for arrest records, contact the law enforcement office at (646) 610-5296.
- For information on assistance for victims, call the District Attorney’s Office at 718-250-3820.
Crime Statistics for New York County
Around 47,700 criminal complaints were filed in New York County in 2020. Larceny-theft (over 32,500), burglary (around 4500), and motor vehicle theft (nearly 1400) accounted for the 38,400 plus property crimes. There were nearly 5700 aggravated assault cases, over 3000 robberies, 84 homicides, and more than 400 rape cases in the category of violent crimes.
Over the decade starting in 1998, the crime rate in New York County, New York, has dropped significantly. The number of reported violent crimes at the start of the decade stood at over 16000, and by 2008, this figure had been lowered to less than 8000. Yet, an estimated 46,000 crimes are reported in New York County each year.
Unfortunately, a victim is targeted every 11 minutes, and most of the criminal incidents occur within a one-mile radius of the victim’s home/workplace. Theft and robbery related crimes were a massive problem for the police department, with an estimated 290,000 incidents followed by over 2500 rape cases and 1600 homicides.