Over 50,000 arrests occur in Mississippi each year, with Lamar County accounting for approximately 200 of them. According to the Mississippi Public Records Act, arrest records are classified as public records. Members of the public have the right to view and obtain copies of these records for a fee, which typically ranges from $1.00 to $32.00, depending on the specifics of the request.
However, certain arrest records are non-disclosable to the public due to privacy or security concerns. These include records involving minors, medical records, or records related to ongoing investigations. Access to such restricted records is limited to authorized parties, including the record owners, their legal representatives, the courts, law enforcement agencies, and the Lamar County District Attorney's Office.
Arrest records in Lamar County are maintained by multiple agencies, including local Police Departments, the County Sheriff's Office, and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS).
County-level arrest records can be accessed through the Lamar County Sheriff's Office, which is responsible for maintaining these records. Requesters may obtain arrest records by mail or in person at:
Lamar County Sheriff's Office
403 Main Street
P.O. Box 1240
Purvis, MS 39475
The Inmate Search tool on the Sheriff's portal allows interested individuals to search for information about current inmates at the detention center.
Arrest records can be obtained from local Police Departments within the county's jurisdiction. To request arrest records, contact the Police Department responsible for the arrest by sending written requests through mail or by visiting the respective Police Department in person. Fees are typically charged for obtaining copies of arrest records, depending on the volume of the requests. Necessary information is required to obtain these records, such as the arrestee's full name, the date of the arrest, and the location of the arrest. Major Police Departments in the county include:
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) is responsible for providing access to criminal records statewide, including those for Lamar County. While DPS offers online access to criminal records through the Name-Based Check tool on its portal, access is limited to eligible entities, and each request requires a $32.00 fee. Requesters can contact the DPS at (601) 933-2600 for more information about obtaining criminal records. To obtain copies, eligible parties may submit requests by mail or visit the DPS office in person during regular business hours at:
Mississippi Criminal Information Center
3891 Highway 468
WEST PEARL, MS 39208
Interested individuals seeking the county criminal court records can obtain them from the Lamar County Circuit Clerk's Office, which is responsible for maintaining and providing access to these records. Requesters may obtain copies of criminal court records by mail or in person at:
Lamar County Circuit Clerk's Office
203 Main Street
P.O. Box 369
Phone: (601) 794-8504
Purvis, MS 39475
The county's criminal court records can be accessed online through the Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) by case number or party name. Additionally, third-party websites like InfoTracer provide convenient online access to public records, including arrest records for the county.
Lamar County has an arrest rate of 833.83 per 100,000 residents. Arrest data for the county is summarized in the table below:
| Arrest Type | Number of Arrests |
|---|---|
| Homicide | 2 |
| Aggravated Assault | 6 |
| Simple Assault | 14 |
| DUI | 45 |
| Robbery | 1 |
| Burglary | 16 |
| Larceny Theft | 12 |
| Drug/Narcotic Violations | 40 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 7 |
| Total Number of Arrests | 214 |
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer.
It is situated in Lamar county, Mississippi with a total number of 53 employees - 0 female, 46 male officers and 7 civilians. Lamar County SO ORI (Originated Agency Identifier) number is MS0370000, it belongs to the East South Central division in the South region with a region code of Region III.
| Department | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Purvis Police Department | 136 Shelby Speights Dr | 601-794-6512 |