Alaska Arrest Records

In Alaska, arrest records are official reports created by Alaska criminal justice agencies, specifically local police departments, after they conduct an arrest. They contain pertinent information about the circumstances surrounding the arrest. These include, but are not limited to, the arrestee's personal information, the alleged offense, criminal charges, and the arresting officer and their agency's information.

Under Alaska state laws, a police officer can arrest an individual if a court order (arrest warrant) has been issued for their arrest. Additionally, per AS Sec 12.25.030, a police officer may also conduct an arrest without a warrant in certain situations. For instance, if they witness a crime being committed or have probable cause to believe a person tried to or has committed a crime.

Generally, after an arrest in Alaska, the arresting officer usually takes the arrestee to their local police station or jail to get booked. The booking process typically leads to the creation of different official records, including an arrest record. Arrest records are documentation tools that can be reviewed by criminal justice agency personnel and other interested individuals to find out specific details about arrests. Such as the reason for the arrest, the arrestee's identity, and where the arrestee is being held.

According to the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) 2022 Crime in Alaska Report, 21,398 arrests were made in Alaska in 2022. Of the total, 20,212 were adult arrests (specifically people aged 18 to 65) and 1,186 were juvenile arrests (people younger than 18). Some of the most prominent crimes adult offenders were arrested for that year were driving under the influence (3,188 arrests), other assaults (3,564 arrests), and aggravated assaults (1,776 arrests). On the other hand, some of the most common offenses among juvenile offenders who were arrested include other assaults (356 arrests), aggravated assaults (125 arrests), and vandalism (115 arrests).

Are Arrest Records Public in Alaska?

Yes. The Alaska Public Record Act "APRA" (AS Sec. 40.25.100) requires all public agencies, including criminal justice agencies, to make certain records they maintain accessible to the general public. These rules extend to arrest records generated by relevant agencies, such as local police departments in Alaska. As a result, anyone can access arrest records in Alaska by querying relevant agencies.

However, the APRA is not all-encompassing. Several exceptions outlined in AS Sec. 40.25.120 limit public access to certain types of records and information maintained by public agencies. These records are considered to be privileged or confidential. Only certain eligible individuals and entities can access these "confidential/privileged" information or records. A good example is records of juveniles except if their disclosure is authorized by law. Other exceptions specifically related to arrest records and other law enforcement records include records whose disclosure could;

• Interfere with enforcement proceedings
• Deprive an individual of their right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication
• Constitute an unwarranted invasion of a suspect, defendant, victim, or witness personal privacy.
• Reveal the identity of a confidential source.
• Endanger the life or physical safety of an individual.

What is Included in Alaska Arrest Records?

Information people can expect Alaska arrest records to contain includes

• The arrestee's personal information: such as their full name and any known alias
• The arrestee's physical description: including their race, sex, height, weight, and age or date of birth.
• The arrest details: such as the date, time, and location of the incident
• The arrestee's mugshot
• A description of the alleged offense the arrestee committed
• The arresting officer and their agency's information.

Find Public Arrest Records in Alaska

Interested persons can find and obtain copies of public arrest records in Alaska by querying local municipal and borough police departments. The methods for making queries may differ by agency. Nonetheless, the general process for finding arrest records in Alaska involves the following steps.

• Identify the police department that generated the record: Generally, local police departments in Alaska only generate and maintain arrest records for arrests they were responsible for conducting. As a result, determining the agency that made an arrest is important in appropriately directing a request for a public arrest record. A good rule of thumb is to contact the local police department in the municipality or borough where the arrest was suspected to have occurred. Because local police departments typically only make arrests within the specific jurisdiction they oversee.
• Inquire about the agency's procedures and fees for requesting public records: most local police departments in Alaska provide information about their procedures and fees for requesting public records they maintain on their official website. Some examples are the Anchorage Police Department's records request page and the Juneau Police Department's Record Request page. In cases where a police department does not provide information about the procedures of fees are requesting public records they maintain, interested can contact the agency directly to learn about its procedures. Record seekers can also contact the agency to inquire about the availability of the arrest record they desire.
• Request the desired record: Depending on how an agency operates, requests may be made in person, by mail, or online. Most police departments permit in-person requests, which can be made by visiting the physical address of a police department during regular office hours. Agencies that accept by-mail requests usually provide a dedicated form that record seekers can use to facilitate their requests. Some examples of these forms include the Ketchikan Police Department Report Request form and the North Pole Police Department Record Request form. In cases where these types of forms are not provided, requesters can draft a written request detailing the desired record. On the other hand, agencies that accept online requests typically provide an online portal interested persons can use to request public records. These portals are usually hosted on the agency's or their respective municipality's website. An example of the former is the Anchorage Police Department Record Center portal. Meanwhile, an example of the latter is the City Of Fairbanks Public Records Request portal.

Note that regardless of the method of request an agency accepts, requesters must provide certain information that identifies the arrest record they desire when requesting arrest records. This information may include the arrestee's name, arrest date, arrest location, or other relevant information. This is particularly necessary because they assist the custodian in identifying the desired record. Regarding fees, agencies typically charge requesters for the cost of making copies of requested records and in certain cases the time it takes to research and retrieve requested records.

As previously stated, some arrest records are inaccessible to the general public in Alaska. However, it may be possible to access such records by obtaining a subpoena for the record. A subpoena is a court order that requires an individual to appear in court and testify or to produce a record or document they maintain. In Alaska, a subpoena can be obtained through a court clerk's office. After obtaining a subpoena, it can be served to the custodian of the desired record in person or by mail to order them to produce the confidential record.

How to Lookup Arrest Records Online in Alaska

Interested persons can look up arrest records online in Alaska, through online resources provided by local police departments. Some local Police departments host online resources on their websites that record seekers can use to look up arrest records they maintain. For instance, record seekers can use the Fairbanks Police Department's Police 2 Citizen portal to look up records of recent arrests conducted by Fairbanks P.D.

Alternatively, certain third-party websites also provide databases containing public arrest records that their user can use to look up Alaska arrest records online. These databases are usually searchable using the full name of an arrestee and an applicable U.S. state. However, users are usually charged a fee or subscription to access comprehensive results from searches conducted through these third-party websites. Additionally, the completeness and accuracy of results are not guaranteed. Hence, it is generally advised to compare records obtained from third-party sources with those obtained through government channels to confirm the record's accuracy.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record in Alaska

Indefinitely. Alaska State Statutes do not specifically limit how long arrests can stay on an individual's record. As a result, there is no general timeframe for an arrest to remain on an individual's record in Alaska. However, most criminal justice agencies follow the Alaska General Administrative Records Retention and Disposition Schedule in determining how long they maintain a record on file. According to the schedule, adult arrest records are retained for 10 years or longer or until the death of the subject and then destroyed. Meanwhile, juvenile arrest files are retained for six (6) years or until the juvenile reaches majority age (18 years) then are destroyed.

It is worth noting that some cities also have an independent record retention schedule which their government agencies including local police departments follow. These schedules are usually modeled after the Alaska General Administrative Records Retention and Disposition Schedule. An example is the City of Fairbanks Record Retention Schedule.

Expunge an Arrest Record in Alaska

Unfortunately, Alaska does not have any state law that allows for expungement of an arrest record. However, an arrest record may be sealed under AS Sec 12.62.180. There is a significant difference between expunging and sealing a record. The former (expungement) requires a custodian to destroy a specific record they maintain. Meanwhile, the latter (sealing) prevents public access to a record.

In Alaska, once a record gets sealed it becomes inaccessible to the general public and the subject of the record can deny its existence. However, per AS Sec 12.62.180 (d), eligible persons and entities can access sealed records for specific reasons, such as:

• Record management purposes, including auditing
• Criminal justice employment purposes
• Research and statistical purposes
• Prevention of imminent harm to a person
• Review by the record's subject
• Reasons authorised by a court order or applicable statutes.

In Alaska, an arrest record qualifies to be sealed if there is proof, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the arrest that led to its creation was a result of mistaken identity or false accusation. Provided an arrest record meets the aforementioned requirement, the subject of the records can submit a written request to the head of the agency responsible for maintaining the record to have the record sealed. The head of the agency has the final administrative decision to accept or deny the request to seal the record. In cases where an agency denials a request, the requester can appeal the agency's decision to a court with appropriate jurisdiction.

How Do I Find Recent Arrests in Alaska?

Interested persons can find information about recent arrests made in Alaska municipalities and boroughs through the local police department that serves specific areas. Some local police departments provide information about recent arrests their officers conducted through online resources hosted on their official websites. Some examples include the Juneau Police Department Bulletin Archive and the Fairbank Police Department's Recent Arrest portal.

In cases where an agency does not provide online resources containing information about recent arrests, inquirers can contact or visit the agency's physical address to make recent arrest inquiries.

Are Alaska Arrest Records Free?

Yes. Interested persons can use online resources provided by local law enforcement agencies in Alaska to find and review arrest records for free. However, there are fees associated with requesting copies of arrest records from relevant agencies. Requesters are usually charged for the cost of making copies. In certain cases, requesters may also be charged for the time spent searching and retrieving requested records (especially for older arrest records).

Furthermore, requesters who choose to use third-party websites to access Alaska arrest records are also charged a fee or subscription to access the site services. Although conducting a search on most third-party websites is free, users can usually charged to access records that appear in search results.