In Jefferson, Alabama, when the police seek to arrest someone, the town’s judge takes a look to see if there’s good enough reason, known as “probable cause,” for the bust and holding. If that’s in order, the judge signs an arrest warrant.
Once the judge signs the warrant, it will become an active arrest warrant. For this to happen, the police department needs to bring enough evidence to the court so that the sitting judge can decide whether the arrest should take place or not. The law enforcement department is then responsible for the execution of the arrest warrant. The authorities in Jefferson, AL, are also responsible for detaining the arrested individual.
Next, the arrested individual is brought to the court of law. Generally, arrest warrants issued against individuals in one state are limited to the county and state where they are being given. However, conditions where the warrant is issued in any other form do not have any legal force. Warrants that remain active for too long in Jefferson and have not been fulfilled turn into outstanding warrants.
Information about incarcerated individuals in Jefferson, Alabama, is available for the public via the Alabama state criminal records. However, you cannot gain access to the details of the arrest warrants, both active and outstanding, unless the County Sherriff’s Office has issued a list of the “wanted criminals.”
The Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center is offering no information on Alabama arrest warrants. If you are searching for data on Jefferson County’s warrants that are outstanding, then you will have to visit the County Sherriff’s Office in person and inquire about all the details you want to know.
Who should you be calling for details about Jefferson County warrants and recent arrests? (Updated in 2021)
- (205) 481-4160 – Contact the Jefferson County Jail Division to access details on recent arrests.
- (205) 254-6369 – Contact Birmingham PD for arrest records, incident and accident reports of cases handled by them.
- (205) 325-5700- Contact the Sheriff’s Office for an arrest report or a warrant search involving cases handled by them.
- (205) 325-5355 – Contact the Clerk of Court for a case search.
- (205) 325-5260 (Birmingham)/ (205) 481-4145 (Bessemer) – Contact the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office to get help for crime victims.
Crime statistics of Jefferson County
The Sheriff’s Office of Jefferson County handled approximately 3,000 criminal matters in 2019. Of the total number of complaints filed, around 2300 were against property crimes, while approximately 730 were against violent crimes.
With almost 900 cases attributed to it, larceny-theft had the highest rate of occurrence among all reported property crimes. Burglary was responsible for approximately 1200 complaints. Aggravated assault cases led to the maximum case filings in the violent crimes category, at 546.
A thorough analysis of all arrest records shows 350,000 crimes reported between 1999 and 2008 in Jefferson County, out of which more than 43,000 were violent. Every 14 minutes, someone becomes the victim of a crime here, and half of the yearly crimes that happen in this County take place less than a mile away from the victim’s home.