Olmsted County Arrest Records

Olmsted County arrest records are the documents that provide information on the arrest of a person in the county by law enforcement officers and agencies such as the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office. The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, a full-service law enforcement agency, maintains the arrest records of Olmsted County and provides these records with arrests leading to trials when these records are part of the Olmsted County Court Records.

Olmsted County law enforcement officers are generally persuaded to make arrests in the county and place the arrested persons in custody for crime prevention and during the investigation of crimes. Other reasons why arrests are made in the county include:

• When there is probable cause that a crime is being committed
• Need to take action to protect the safety of other residents of the county
• Observe criminal activity being committed
• Have a court-provided warrant to arrest an individual
• When an individual poses a threat to themselves and others
• When persons violate the terms of their probation or parole

Arrested persons in Olmsted County are detained in the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center (jail) the Sheriff’s office runs. The detention center is located at:

Olmsted County Government Center
101 4th Street South East
Rochester MN 55904-3719
Phone: (507) 328-6790

The Adult Detention Center (ADC) is a direct supervision facility that houses detainees for county, state, and federal agencies per space availability.

Are Arrest Records Public in Olmsted County?

Olmsted County arrest records are public records. Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) codified in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13 states that arrest records, which include arrest data, facts around the arrest, charges, and the arrested person's identity, are public records. However, some of these records are exempted from public access. These include records that are confidential or protected nonpublic data or private or non-public data such as:

• Undercover operations that could reveal the identity of a suspect who has not been charged or arrested
• Records containing the identity of informants and undercover agents
• Records that contain information on tactical operations, such as procedures, operations, and strategies of law enforcement officers
• Records that pose a safety risk to individuals, such as the victims or witnesses of crimes
• Juvenile records that show the arrest of individuals under the age of 18
• Medical records of persons collected by law enforcement officers during an investigation

Where records are withheld upon request, requesters can apply to the Olmsted County District Court for an order to request the withholding agency to release the record.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

When individuals are arrested or deprived of their liberty in Olmsted County, a comprehensive record of the arrest containing data created or collected about the arrest includes the following information:

• Date, place, and time of the arrest
• Record of any resistance encountered during the arrest
• Record of any pursuit engaged in during the arrest
• Record of weapons used during the arrest either by the law enforcement officers or the arrestee
• The charge, search or arrest warrant, and other legal backing for the arrest
• Identities of the law enforcement agencies, the units, and the officers making the arrest
• The name, age, sex, and address of the adult individual or juvenile being arrested
• Incident report or response number
• Information on the names of the persons who supplied the information
• Record of how law enforcement agencies received the information leading to the arrest
• Time, date, and legal basis for the release of the arrestee from custody or incarceration
• Time, date, and legal basis that shows the transfer of custody and agency name and representative receiving custody

Olmsted County Crime Rate

According to crime rate data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer, there were 272 violent crime-related offenses reported by the Rochester Police Department in 2022. Of these, 239 were violent crime incidents. The violent crime locations were as follows:

• At residence/home - 134
• Highway/Alley/Street/Sidewalk - 39
• Parking Garage/Lot - 23
• Motel/Hotel - 15
• Unknown location - 10

The violent crime incidents included the use of the following weapons:

• Personal weapons - 85
• Knife or cutting instrument - 46
• Blunt object - 25
• Handgun - 23
• Unknown weapon - 22

Of the 272 offenses, 117 cases (43%) had the victim being an acquaintance, boyfriend, or girlfriend.

In the same year, there were 272 burglary incidents, the lowest in Rochester in 10 years from 495 burglaries in 2012. The burglaries included:

• At the residence during the day, -83
• Non-residence at night - 74
• Residence at night - 71
• Non-residence during the day - 49

The total value of property stolen in 2022 was estimated to be $2,332,816, while the value of the recovered property was estimated to be $814,299.

Olmsted County Arrest Statistics

Based on data extracted from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Crime Data Explorer, there were 2,679 arrests in Olmsted County in 2022. These arrests were for offense categories such as drug possession, drug sales, gambling offenses, property crimes, prostitution violations, crimes against society, and crimes against persons. The top five most reported offenses in Olmsted County in descending order in 2022 were:

• Larceny - Theft - 653
• Simple Assault - 426
• Drug Abuse Violations - Grand Total - 274
• Driving Under the Influence - 239
• Aggravated Assault - 103

A gender-based review of all arrests in the county showed that more men were arrested than women. The highest arrests for men were for the age range of 30 - 34, with 374 arrests. The highest number of detained females was also for the group of 30 - 34 with 158 persons, a ratio of 1 female to every 2.3 male.

The incarceration capacity of jails in Olmsted County as of Q2 2021 was 292, with 85 people incarcerated. Available incarceration rates of Olmsted County of incarcerated people per 100,00 residents aged 15 to 64 from Q2 2019 of 338 was lower than that of Minnesota (442) and the U.S. (789).

Find Olmsted County Arrest Records

Persons seeking to find inmates in Olmsted County can call the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center at (507) 328-6790 to check the custody list. The online web page service in the form of an in-custody list provided by the county is an alternative option. The service allows a search using a search form, listing everyone in custody for interested persons to go through, or a search using the first letter of the inmate’s last name. The in-custody list is updated daily.

The Federal Medical Center in Rochester is a federal administrative security medical center in Rochester, the county seat of Olmsted County for male inmates. Interested persons can find records on any of the 779 inmates via the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator.

Free Arrest Record Search in Olmsted County

Persons checking on inmate records in Olmsted County using the County web-based service or the BOP inmate locator typically do this for free. Alternatively, interested persons can also use third-party innate records services. Third-party arrest records services generally offer expansive features to the users of the services.

Get Olmsted County Criminal Records

Olmsted County criminal records include records that show the information on the arrest and detention of persons and the information from the court processes after a criminal case was filed with the Olmsted County court system. Criminal records include information on the person involved such as their name, arrest date, booking photo, charges, and arrest date. Information from the court processes in criminal records includes court filings, case types, names of persons involved, and charges.

Persons seeking Olmsted County criminal records can turn to the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) service of the Minnesota Judicial Branch or the Minnesota Access Case Records, which allows a case-by-case number search and a service of the Minnesota Judicial Branch.

Criminal records are also available through the Minnesota Police Department Law Enforcement records. Which serves both the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and the Rochester Police Department. Records can be requested in person, Monday through Fridays, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. except on holidays at:

Law Enforcement Center
Police Department Window – 2nd Floor
101 South East 4th Street
Rochester, MN 55904

Olmsted County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Olmsted County arrest records focus on the arrest and detention of persons at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center (ADC). The records include the person's name, arrest date and location, and the charges associated with the arrest. Olmsted County arrest records do not indicate past criminal activity but only the arrest. The arrest charges may not be the final charges; in some instances, the charges are dropped.

On the other hand, Olmsted County criminal records capture the past criminal history of a person in the county. The records include the arrest history, investigation details, the details of the court case (case type, charges, court proceedings, and verdicts), convictions, and sentencing information. Criminal records also include incarceration, parole, and probation details and all records of the trial.

Criminal records are from a case where a person is tried and found guilty or pleads guilty in court. In contrast, arrest records are records from an arrest supported by probable cause only. The arrested person may not be guilty.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Per Minnesota Statutes § 609A, persons in Olmsted County and the rest of Minnesota do not have to have arrest records on their records in perpetuity but can remove arrests from their records. Persons arrested for misdemeanors, a long list of non-violent convictions to minors, and gross misdemeanors can have these records removed after a two to five-year waiting period after their convictions. Sealing or expunging of these records is by petition. A list of felonies can be deleted after a waiting period of four years. However, felonies not on this list are not eligible for expungement, no matter how many years have passed.

Expunge Olmsted County Arrest Records

As of 2023, due to reforms in the criminal justice system of Minnesota, there is automatic relief for most cases eligible for petition-based requests for expungement. Eligibility for expungement differs. For example, persons with a stayed sentence or convicted for a misdemeanor have to wait two conviction-free years after they complete the sentence. Per Minnesota Statutes § 609.135, where a conviction for a felony is modified to a gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor, this modification will not qualify the offense for expungement eligibility. For persons where all the trial proceedings were resolved in their favor with no conviction, they can petition for expungement under Minnesota Statutes § 609A.02. Persons considering filing a petition for expungement can visit the Olmsted County District Court for more information at:

Olmsted County Government Center
151 4th Street Southeast
Rochester, MN 55904
Phone: (507) 722-7264

In some instances, a prosecutor can initiate the expungement of records. Prosecutor-initiated expungements do not require a petition from the affected party. The court will seal the record unless it is decided sealing it is a risk to the public. Interested persons can take advantage of the Olmsted County Attorney for prosecutor-initiated expungements. by reaching out to the attorney to inquire about the process at:

Olmsted County Attorney,
151 4th Street South East
Rochester, MN 55904
Phone: (507) 328-7600
Email: county.attorney@co.olmsted.mn.us

The office of the Olmsted County Attorney will, at its discretion, opt to provide expungement for eligible candidates as provided under Minnesota law. Persons who demonstrate good conduct and rehabilitation stand a good chance of prosecutor-initiated expungement.

At expungement, records are not destroyed. However, they are sealed and their future disclosure is prohibited. Expunged records may not be introduced as evidence in a civil suit and business screening services are required to delete records that have been sealed or expunged.

Olmsted County Arrest Warrants

Olmsted County Arrest warrants follow the legal process established by state law to empower law enforcement officers of the county to arrest persons of interest where there is probable cause to do so. A judge or magistrate issues an arrest warrant after receiving an affidavit requesting the arrest warrant. The judge reviews the affidavit and will only issue the arrest warrant where there is a conviction of probable cause. Arrest warrants are issued when there is a need to bring in persons for questioning, take people off the streets for public safety, or where there is probable cause the arrestee has committed an offense. Arrest warrants contain the name of the person to be arrested, physical description, address, charges, information on issuing authority and law enforcement agency, and probable cause statement.

Olmsted County Arrest Warrant Search

Persons interested in active warrants in Olmsted County can use the warrant search page on the Olmsted County website. Warrant records include warrants for misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony-related arrests. Searchers can find warrants using the first letter of the person’s last name or search via the search form.

Do Olmstead County Arrest Warrants Expire?

In Olmsted County, Minnesota, arrest warrants do not expire but retain permanent validity. The warrant will be active indefinitely until it is executed with the arrest of the person named on it or if it is resolved via legal means. Legal resolution can be by filing a motion to quash the warrant or negotiating the terms through the court.