Pennington County Arrest Records

Arrests occur when a police officer takes a person into custody on suspicion of a crime. This is done to either investigate or prevent a crime. In some cases, a person may be arrested on suspicion of plotting or conspiring to commit a crime. Arrests usually happen against the arrested person’s will, and when an arrest takes place, the person’s freedom is temporarily put on hold.

Once a person has been taken into custody in Pennington County, the police initiate the booking process, during which information about the suspect is entered into the system. This includes information such as the arrested person’s full name, date of birth, home address, DNA sample, physical description, details about the arrest, etc. After this, the arrest record is generated by the County Sheriff’s Office record section.

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office serves the county in numerous ways, including the maintenance of public safety, specifically in regards to law and order. They execute arrest warrants, generate arrest records and manage the county jail.

To get access to Pennington County arrest records, contact the Sheriff’s Office at:

Physical Address:
Public Safety Building
300 Kansas City Street
Rapid City, SD 57701

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 6160
Rapid City, SD 57709-6160
Phone: (605) 394-6113

The County Clerk’s Office also maintains a database of Pennington County Court Records, which includes county arrest records.

Pennington County Clerk of Count
P.O. Box 230
315 St Joseph St, Suite 5
Rapid City, SD 57709-0230
Phone: (605) 394-2570

Are Arrest Records Public in Pennington County?

Arrest records are considered public records in South Dakota in accordance with the Public Records Act. This means the general public has a right to request and obtain copies of arrest records. This is done to ensure transparency and accountability in the judicial system.

However, there are cases where an arrest record may be restricted from public access. Such cases include:

• Arrest records of persons under the age of 18 (minors) are subject to strict confidentiality rules and are therefore inaccessible to the public.
• Sealed or expunged arrest records are hidden from public view and may only be accessed by courts and law enforcement agencies.
• Arrest records that are relevant to ongoing investigations may be kept from public view for the duration of the investigation.
• Information that may be harmful to the arrested person, such as social security numbers, may be excluded from public arrest records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records typically include the following information:

• Personal information such as the suspect’s name, date of birth, physical description, home address and phone number
• Details about the arrest such as the date and time of the arrest, the location, arresting agency, arresting officer, and the crime the suspect is being charged with.
• Booking information, including the booking number, date and time, and jail facility.

Pennington County Crime Rate

Pennington County has an average crime rate. The county’s violent crime rate is 19, which is slightly lower than the national average of 22.7. Crimes like robbery, assault, and murder are low, if not rare, in the county. Property crime, on the other hand, is much higher at 27.9. The national average for property crime is 35.4, and while it is a bit higher than the Pennington County property crime rate, incidents of property crime are considerably higher in the county.

Pennington County Arrest Statistics

Roughly 66.959 arrests happened in Pennington County between 2013 and 2023. Low-level offenses were the cause of the bulk of these arrests, taking up 72% of the total arrests. 12% of these arrests were drug related, with Methamphetamine possession accounting for 57% of drug related arrests. Violent crime accounted for just 2% of these arrests.

Find Pennington County Arrest Records

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office maintains a database of arrest records that are available for public use. You may contact the Sheriff’s Office at:

Physical Address:
Public Safety Building
300 Kansas City Street
Rapid City, SD 57701

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 6160
Rapid City, SD 57709-6160
Phone: (605) 394-6113

The County Clerk’s Office also maintains a database of Pennington County Court Records, which includes county arrest records.

Pennington County Clerk of Count
P.O. Box 230
315 St Joseph St, Suite 5
Rapid City, SD 57709-0230
Phone: (605) 394-2570

There are also online options for finding arrest records. Some reliable websites include:

• Pennington County Court Records: This is the official South Dakota Court Records website. It provides information on how to get access to court records from counties within South Dakota. This includes Pennington County arrest records.
• South Dakota Law Help Record Search: This website provides insight on how to request public records in South Dakota. The website makes public records available through the Public Access Record System (PARS). Interested persons may use this website to request Pennington County arrest records.
• Pennington County, SD Court Records Search: This website has a free online search tool that may be used to search for Pennington County arrest records.

Free Arrest Record Search in Pennington County

• Public Record Search Systems: This website allows interested persons to search for arrest records relevant to Pennington County.
• Pennington County Records Division: The Pennington County Records Division is responsible for the maintenance of public records in the county. They also process record releases for the public and are a reliable source for requesting copies of Pennington County arrest records.
• Government Background Checks: This website allows you to search for arrest records that are relevant to Pennington County.

Get Pennington County Criminal Records

A criminal record is a document that lists the crimes that have been committed by an individual. It records a person’s pattern of offenses as well as the details of their interaction with the law at various levels. Criminal records specify the crimes committed and also provide information about the disposition of a case or the outcome of an arrest.

To get access to a Pennington County criminal record, you may visit the Sheriff’s Office at:

Physical Address:
Public Safety Building
300 Kansas City Street
Rapid City, SD 57701

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 6160
Rapid City, SD 57709-6160
Phone: (605) 394-6113

The County Clerk’s Office also maintains a database of Pennington County Court Records, which includes county criminal records.

Pennington County Clerk of Count
P.O. Box 230
315 St Joseph St, Suite 5
Rapid City, SD 57709-0230
Phone: (605) 394-2570

Pennington County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

The terms ‘criminal’ and ‘arrest’ records are often used interchangeably. However, there is a significant difference between these types of records. Arrest records contain information on the subject, including their name, the date and time of the arrest, the arresting party, the place the subject is being held, and the charges laid against them. These records do not include the final disposition of the case. Rather, they include information related to the charges against the arrested individual.

On the other hand, criminal records include all the details within the arrest record as well as the final disposition of the case. Details such as whether the arrested person was found guilty or if the charges were dismissed, reduced, or dropped may also be found on a criminal record. It also includes sentencing data for the charge, information related to the violations the arrested person has been accused of, and other details such as probation. A criminal record is a much more detailed and definite record than an arrest record.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An arrest will stay on your record indefinitely. This may only be remedied by applying to have your arrest record sealed or expunged. Depending on the outcome of your application or appeal, the record may be sealed (restricted from being accessed by the general public except for law enforcement and courts) or expunged (completely removed from public records).

Expunge Pennington County Arrest Records

Having an arrest on your record may make life challenging. This is especially true if the arrest leads to a conviction. However, for many individuals with arrests on their record, it is possible to get their arrest record expunged.

In Pennington County, an arrested person may petition for the expungement of an arrest record. The petition will be made to the Pennington County District Court after one year from the date of the arrest. It is important to note that only arrests that don’t lead to convictions count. If the petition is accepted, then the arrest record will be removed. A flat fee of 70$ will be required to begin the process.

Pennington County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants are issued by a judge when a crime is committed with the aim of authorizing the police to bring a suspect into custody. Warrants identify the crime that has been committed and detail the manner in which the suspect should be arrested. In some cases, the warrant may state that the suspect may only be arrested at certain times during the day or at night. Some warrants also mention the bail that must be posted by the defendant after they’ve been arrested in order for them to regain their freedom.

To obtain a warrant, a police officer must appear before a judge and present probable cause that a person has committed a crime, along with a sworn statement from the officer, an attorney, or a victim.

Pennington County Arrest Warrant Search

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the execution of arrest warrants within the county. The Sheriff’s Office also maintains a database of arrest warrants that is accessible to the general public. To find an active arrest warrant in Pennington, you may visit the Sheriff’s Office Warrants Page on their website.

Do Pennington County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants in Pennington County generally do not have an expiration date. Arrest warrants stay active indefinitely in order to not encourage suspects to evade the law. That said, there are cases where the person who has been issued an arrest warrant may go years without knowing about it. In such cases, it would be natural to be curious about how the statute of limitations applies to arrest warrants. However, there are no statutes of limitations on arrest warrants. As mentioned earlier, once an arrest warrant has been issued, it remains in force until its aim has been achieved.