Pontotoc County Arrest Records

In Pontotoc County, Mississippi, arrests are legal procedures for detaining persons suspected of committing a crime. Peace officers have the legal right to arrest suspected offenders and may detain them in the county jail. Arrestees are detained until they either complete the bail conditions or get arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.

The Pontotoc County Police Department is responsible for creating records of arrest events within the county. The agency also keeps arrest records and may disclose them upon request from interested parties.

Note: Public members may obtain arrest information through crime-related public records. For instance, you can find arrest details like criminal charges and bond information in Pontotoc County court records. Inmate records also offer access to some arrest information.

Are Arrest Records Public in Pontotoc County?

Pontotoc County's arrest records are largely accessible to the public. The Mississippi Public Records Act allows public access to government-generated records and determines the process for accessing them. Under this law, the public can view or get physical copies of arrest records from specific government entities. For instance, you can obtain arrest records from the county sheriff's office by making an in-person request at this location:

490 West Oxford Street
Pontotoc, Mississippi 38863
Phone: (662) 489-3915

However, the law redacts portions of arrest records from the public. Such records typically reveal information that may violate the concerned parties' privacy or safety rights. Examples of restricted arrest records are:

• Records that are sealed or expunged due to court orders or statutes.
• Information that may interfere with ongoing investigations.
• Arrest-related information that may endanger the lives of peace officers.
• Personal information of crime victims and witnesses.

Pontotoc County Arrest Statistics

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety maintains an annual arrest statistics report for Pontotoc County. Per the agency's 2024 arrest report, Pontotoc County's law enforcement agencies documented 296 arrests for crimes against persons, property, and society.

Conversely, the state's Department of Corrections maintains statewide statistics on incarceration. While there is no county-level inmate statistics report, the state's correctional centers recorded a total inmate population of 19,234 as of March 23, 2025.

Find Pontotoc County Arrest Records

In Pontotoc County, arrest records are accessible through the county sheriff's office and may be stored as police or incident reports. Record seekers can also find the records in other public documents. For instance, inmate records provide access to some arrest data like the arrestee's personal information, criminal charges, bond amount, arrest date, and the arresting agency's name.

Public members can view inmate records through official online repositories. For instance, the Mississippi Department of Corrections has an online searchable platform for inmates serving sentences in state-level correctional facilities. Public members typically need to input the inmate's name or MDOC ID in the required field to locate records on the platform.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons provides an alternative database for looking up inmate records. To view records on the platform, users must search by giving the inmate's name or prison ID number.

Pontotoc County Arrest Records vs. Criminal Records

Pontotoc County arrest records are not the same as criminal records. The records are different in the following ways:

They contain different content.

Arrest records mostly contain information regarding arrests made within the county. The record may include the arrestee's name, physical description, criminal charges, arrest date and location, mugshot, and the arresting agency's name. In contrast, criminal records contain all information regarding an individual's criminal past. It may include arrest, court, and incarceration data.

They are under the purview of different agencies

.Local law enforcement agencies are the primary custodians of arrest records. The agencies are also responsible for generating the records after an arrest event. Criminal records, however, are under the purview of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. The agency creates the record by receiving criminal information from public entities like the court that handled the case, the arresting agency, and the prosecutor's office.

The records have different social implication.s

Arrest records do not cause stigma or discrimination. This is because they do not indicate whether the record subject was guilty of the offense. However, criminal records reveal that the court has convicted an individual of a crime. Thus, certain criminal convictions, like sex-related crimes, may lead to discrimination or restrictions, such as staying away from school districts.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Pontotoc County, arrest records stay on your records permanently. However, you can petition the court to expunge or seal the record. Under Mississippi laws, you are eligible to expunge arrest records if:

• The arrest charges were dismissed.
• The court dismissed the case.
• You were convicted of a felony and have waited five years after completing the sentence.
• You are a first-time offender who was convicted of a misdemeanor offense, except for traffic violations.

Pontotoc County Arrest Warrants

In Pontotoc County, arrest warrants are legal documents that authorize the arrest of persons suspected of breaking the law. The county's court judges may issue arrest warrants after receiving an affidavit from an arresting officer. The affidavit must contain evidence that the suspected offender committed a crime.

The Miss. R. Crim. P. 3.2 requires all arrest warrants issued in Pontotoc County to include these details:

• The defendant's legal name or known aliases.
• The defendant's physical description, including body markings or tattoos.
• Criminal charge and description.
• The court official's name and signature.
• Arrest issuance date.
• Court document number.

Do Pontotoc County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants issued in Pontotoc County do not expire. They only become invalid when the court revokes them or the offender is arrested. The statute of limitations does not affect the document's validity. Interested parties may look up active warrants at the Pontotoc County sheriff's office or the court that issued them.