Niagara County, NY police officials, can only take a person into custody without a warrant if a law enforcement officer witnesses an individual’s misdemeanor. However, in cases where there exists probable cause to suspect an individual, a petition has to be filed in court seeking an arrest warrant that will grant police officers the authority to arrest a person.
Law enforcement officers will search an individual arrested. They also have the right to pull up a person on the street if they suspect him/her of possessing illegal substances or items and searching his/her person.
In scenarios that call for the issue of an arrest warrant, the sheriff’s Department approaches the court with a formal, written complaint stating the crime, the name of the suspect, and the evidence/witnesses. The judge considers the information and ascertains that it is enough for the eventual filing of a criminal case before granting an arrest warrant.
Once issued, the arrest order is termed as an active warrant; the document must be served before an arrest is made. However, if the alleged perpetrator is absconding and the warrant cannot be served, for this reason, the active arrest warrant is then categorized as an outstanding warrant.
A person can be taken into custody with an active as well as an outstanding warrant. So, in essence, there is no expiration period for an arrest warrant. To find out more about arrest records in Niagara County, the Sheriff’s Department’s most definitive source of information is located at 5526 Niagara Street Extension, Lockport, NY 14095-0496.
Alternatively, you can also rummage through an internet database to conduct an online warrant search. Fill in the form given above to access the collection of criminal records.
How do you get information on Niagara County arrests and warrants over the phone? (2021-Update)
- To file a non-emergency complaint, contact the dispatch phone number at 716-438-3393.
- To get a warrant search done, call the Warrant division at 716-438-3344.
- To find out about recent arrests, contact Jail Information at 716-438-3446.
- To get in touch with a detective, who is handling your case (victims only), call the Criminal Investigation Division at 716-438-3327.
- To learn the procedure for requesting a local criminal background check, arrest records, and police reports call the Records Division at 716-438-3416.
- To request an accident report, contact the Records Division at 716-438-3388.
- To contact Victim/Witness Services, call the Victim Assistance Unit Advocate at 716-438-3306.
- To get judicial records of criminal cases, call the Clerk of Niagara County Court at 716-280-6400.
Crime Statistics for Niagara County, New York
In 2020, the Niagara Sheriff’s Office received more than 4700 criminal complaints, as opposed to the 4171 cases received in 2019. These included over 4,000 property crimes and nearly 650 violent crimes.
The property crimes category included 3,143 larceny thefts, 562 burglaries, and 365 motor vehicle thefts. The violent crimes category included almost 400 aggravated assaults, 96 rapes and 141 robberies.
Between 1999 and 2008, over 50,000 crimes took place in Niagara County, NY, of which the vast majority were theft and robbery cases, including auto theft. A comparison of the crime data over the decade revealed that there had been an astounding rise of almost 100% in violent crime. The overall number of antisocial incidents also went up by nearly 90%.
In the decade ending in 2008, approximately 50,000 crimes were reported in Niagara, including almost 6000 violent crimes. The county’s annual crime rate stands at nearly 5000; of these, only about 400 and 40 are homicide and sexual assault incidents.