Barbour County Police Records

Police records in Barbour County include arrest reports, booking data, and jail rosters kept by the county sheriff. The Barbour County Sheriff's Office in Clayton handles law enforcement and corrections for this southeast Alabama county. You can request records directly from the sheriff or through formal open records requests under state law.

Barbour County Sheriff's Office

The Barbour County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of the county. They also run the county jail where inmates are held before trial or while serving short sentences. The office sits in Clayton, which is the county seat.

You can reach the sheriff's office for police record requests. They maintain arrest records for anyone booked into the county jail. This includes booking photos, charges filed, bond amounts, and release dates. Records may be available in person or by written request.

Contact Information:

• Address: 1 Court Square, Clayton, AL 36016
• Phone: (334) 775-3392
• County Seat: Clayton
• Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

The sheriff's office handles several types of police records. Arrest records show when someone was taken into custody. Incident reports detail crimes or calls for service. Booking records include the mugshot and charges at the time of arrest. You may need to visit in person for some records or submit a formal written request.

Barbour County is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit. This circuit also includes Bullock County. Criminal cases are heard in the Barbour County Circuit Court located in the courthouse in Clayton. The Circuit Clerk handles court records separately from police records.

Barbour County Jail Records

The Barbour County Jail holds inmates awaiting trial and those serving sentences of one year or less. The sheriff is responsible for jail operations under Alabama law. Alabama Code Section 36-22-8 requires sheriffs to keep records of all persons confined in the county jail.

Jail records include several types of information. Booking records are created when someone enters the jail. These show the person's name, date of birth, charges, booking date, and mugshot. Bond information appears here too, so you know what it takes to get out.

The county jail has limited capacity. It is a smaller facility compared to larger Alabama counties. Inmates who receive sentences longer than one year get transferred to the Alabama Department of Corrections to serve their time in state prison.

To check if someone is in the Barbour County Jail, call the sheriff's office directly. Some counties post inmate rosters online, but smaller counties like Barbour may require a phone call. Give them the person's name and they can confirm if that individual is in custody.

For victim notification services, you can register with VINELink. This free service will alert you when an inmate's status changes. You get notified if they get released, transferred, or escape. Go to vinelink.com and search for Barbour County, Alabama to sign up.

How to Request Police Records

Alabama's Open Records Act gives residents the right to access public records. The law is in Alabama Code Section 36-12-40. You must be an Alabama resident to make a records request. Proof of residency is required.

To request police records from the Barbour County Sheriff's Office, follow these steps. First, identify the specific records you need. Be as clear as possible about what you want. Include names, dates, and case numbers if you have them.

Put your request in writing. You can deliver it in person or by mail. Include your name, address, phone number, and what records you want. Show proof that you live in Alabama, like a driver's license or voter registration card.

There is no deadline in Alabama law for agencies to respond. Some take a few days. Others take weeks. If they deny your request, they must tell you why. You can appeal a denial in circuit court within two years.

What you can get from a police records request:

• Arrest reports and booking records
• Incident reports for closed cases
• Mugshots and booking photos
• Accident reports from the sheriff
• Inmate records from the county jail

Some records are exempt from public disclosure. Active investigations stay confidential until closed. Juvenile records are sealed. Home addresses and Social Security numbers get redacted. If part of a record is exempt, you can still get the rest.

Record Request Fees

Agencies can charge reasonable fees for copies. The exact cost varies. Most Alabama sheriff offices charge between $0.25 and $1.00 per page. Larger requests may have a processing fee.

Expect to pay when you request records in Barbour County. The fees cover the cost of locating and copying records. Ask about fees when you submit your request so there are no surprises.

Payment is typically by cash, check, or money order. Credit cards are not accepted everywhere. Call ahead to confirm what forms of payment work at the sheriff's office.

For background checks, those go through the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). The state fee is $25 by mail or $15 online. Local agencies do not run criminal background checks for the public. That is ALEA's job.

Statewide Criminal Records

Local arrest records eventually go to the state. Within 30 days of an arrest, the sheriff must send fingerprint cards and arrest data to ALEA. This builds the statewide criminal history database.

To search statewide criminal records, you need to go through ALEA. They run fingerprint-based background checks for employers and licensing agencies. They also offer name-based checks with some limits.

ALEA contact information:

• Address: 301 S. Ripley Street, Montgomery, AL 36130
• Phone: (334) 353-4301
• Criminal Records: 1-866-740-4762
• Website: alea.gov

For state prison inmates, use the Alabama Department of Corrections search. Go to doc.alabama.gov and click on Inmate Search. This shows people serving time in state facilities, not county jails.

Barbour County Court Records

Criminal court records are separate from police records. The Circuit Clerk keeps these. If you want case files, disposition records, or sentencing details, go to the courthouse.

The Barbour County Circuit Clerk is located in the courthouse in Clayton. Circuit Court handles felony cases and appeals from District Court. District Court handles misdemeanors and preliminary hearings.

You can also search court records online through Alacourt Access at pa.alacourt.com. A name search costs $9.99 and includes one case. Additional cases and documents cost extra. This covers criminal and civil cases filed in Alabama courts.

Court records include different information than police records. You will find charging documents, plea agreements, trial transcripts, and sentencing orders. These tell you what happened after the arrest, not just the arrest itself.

Cities in Barbour County

Barbour County has several incorporated cities and towns. The largest include Eufaula, Clayton, Clio, and Louisville. None of these cities meet the population threshold for dedicated pages on this site.

Eufaula is the largest city in Barbour County with around 12,000 people. It has its own police department that handles crimes within city limits. For records from the Eufaula Police Department, contact them directly. The sheriff handles unincorporated areas.

Clayton is the county seat but much smaller than Eufaula. The sheriff's office and courthouse are both located there. Other towns in the county may have small police forces or rely on the sheriff for law enforcement.

When looking for police records, first figure out where the incident happened. If it was in a city, try the city police first. If it was in a rural area, the sheriff has jurisdiction. The county jail holds people arrested by either agency.

Nearby Counties

Several counties border Barbour County. If you need records from nearby areas, check these neighboring counties:

Barbour County sits along the Georgia state line. If you need records from Georgia, that is a different system entirely. Georgia has its own open records laws and procedures.

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