About 76,000 arrests occur in Iowa each year, including 1,500 arrests in Dubuque County. Arrest records in the county are open to the public according to the Iowa Open Records Law, with copy fees typically ranging from $0.10 to $15. However, certain records, including juvenile records, medical and mental health information, expunged records, and information on active investigations, are closed to the public. Access to these records is restricted to the record subjects, their attorneys, and authorized government agencies, including the courts, the police, and the County Attorney's Office.
Several criminal justice agencies maintain arrest records in Dubuque County, including the County Sheriff's Office, local Police Departments, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, and the District Court.
The Dubuque County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency in the County and it maintains details of arrests that occur across communities in the county. Interested persons may request these records by submitting a written request in person or via mail to
Dubuque Law Enforcement Center
770 Iowa Street
P.O. Box 1004
Dubuque, IA 52004-1004
Phone: (563) 589-4400
Requesters may also view information on individuals detained in the county through the Inmate Inquiry portal.
Local Police Departments are law enforcement organizations at the municipal level that function in towns and cities. Within their respective jurisdictions, these local agencies maintain arrest records in addition to ensuring public safety.
Requesters can get police arrest records by getting in touch with the local police department that covers the area where the arrest took place. They can obtain hard copies of arrest records from their record divisions. Some PDs in the county provide websites for incident reports and public record portals for requesting arrest records. The name of the arrestee and date of arrest are details that will typically be provided when requesting arrest records. Major Police Departments in the county are listed below:
Arrest records from all counties in the state are part of the criminal history records kept by the Iowa Department of Public Safety. To request these records, complete the online Criminal Record Check Form and make the required payment using a credit card or prepaid account. As an alternative, submit the completed Form and applicable payment to the agency's office in person or by mail at:
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation
Support Operations Bureau
Dissemination Unit
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
In Dubuque County, the District Court handles all county criminal cases, and the Clerk of Court maintains the records, including information about the defendant's arrests. These records are available through the Iowa Courts Online Electronic Docket Record Search. Alternatively, record seekers may request them from the Clerk of Court by submitting written requests in person or by mail to:
Clerk of Court
720 Central Avenue
Dubuque, IA 52001
Phone: (563) 589-4418
Third-party websites like InfoTracer provide easier and faster means for anyone to find arrest records from the county.
Dubuque County has a crime rate of 5,264 per 100,000 residents and a crime rate of 5,408 per 100,000 population. The table below shows a breakdown of the county's adult and juvenile arrest statistics:
| Arrest Type | Number of Arrests |
|---|---|
| Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter | 6 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 1 |
| Robbery | 3 |
| Rape | 13 |
| Aggravated Assault | 106 |
| Simple Assault | 641 |
| Burglary | 50 |
| Arson | 4 |
| Larceny | 232 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 27 |
| Total Arrests | 5,197 |
Source: Iowa Department of Public Safety
It is situated in Dubuque county, Iowa with a total number of 91 employees - 19 female, 58 male officers and 14 civilians. Dubuque County SO ORI (Originated Agency Identifier) number is IA0310000, it belongs to the West North Central division in the Midwest region with a region code of Region II.
| Department | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Dubuque Police Department | 770 Iowa St. | 563.589.4410 |
| Name | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Dubuque County Juvenile Detention Center | 350 West 6th Street | 563-589-7831 |