About 900 of the approximately 53,000 arrests that occur in Mississippi each year are made in Lowndes County. The Mississippi Public Records Act allows the public to access most records created by government entities, including arrest records, at a cost ranging from $0.20 to $25.
However, certain arrest records, including those involving minors, active investigations, medical or mental health records, sexual abuse records, or information that could endanger public safety, cannot be accessed by the public. The District Attorney's Office of the 16th District Court of Mississippi, law enforcement agents, judicial officials, the people listed in the records, and their attorneys are the only persons permitted to access these records.
Lowndes County arrest records may be accessed through several government agencies, including the sheriff's office, local police departments, and the state's Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Individuals interested in obtaining Lowndes County's arrest records can contact the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. They can make their request by mail or in person at:
The County Sheriff's Office
527 South Martin Luther King Jr Drive
Columbus, MS 39701
Phone: (662) 328-6788
They can also use the Inmate Search portal provided by the County Sheriff's Office to access details of current inmates in the county detention centers.
Individuals seeking to access police arrest records can go to the local Police Department in charge of the municipality where the arrest was made. They must provide basic details regarding the arrest, including the name of the person arrested, the location of the arrest, and the arrest date. Requests for copies of arrest records typically attract a nominal fee. Additionally, certain Police Departments in the County allow the public to access their arrest and incident logs online. Major Police Departments in the county include the following:
Mississippi's central repository for criminal records is the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), which is part of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Criminal records can only be requested from the MBI by record owners, people they authorize, and permitted organizations. An individual can pay $32 to obtain their criminal records from the MBI by filling out the Name-Based request form and mailing it or hand-delivering it in person to:
Mississippi Bureau of Investigation
Mississippi Criminal Information Center
3891 Highway 468
West Pearl, MS 39208
A record subject must complete the Authorization to Release Information form to allow a third party to access their criminal records from the MBI. They must provide the third party's name and mailing address. More information regarding requesting criminal records can be obtained by calling the MBI at (601) 933-2600.
Arrest records of those whose arrests led to official charges are part of the County's criminal court records. The County Circuit Court Clerk maintains criminal court records in the county. Record seekers can access the Circuit Court criminal records by contacting the Circuit Clerk at:
Circuit Clerk
502 Second Avenue
Room 206
Columbus, MS 39701
Phone: (662) 241-1920, (662) 329-3335
They can also use the Public Access to Mississippi Electronic Courts portal to access criminal court records from the county courts. Furthermore, interested persons can use reliable third-party platforms like InfoTracer to access the County's arrest records.
Lowndes County has an arrest rate of 2,632 per 100,000 population. Some arrest figures for adults and juveniles in the county are shown in the table below:
| Arrest Type | Number of Arrests |
|---|---|
| Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter | 1 |
| Kidnapping | 2 |
| Robbery | 7 |
| Rape | 7 |
| Aggravated Assault | 45 |
| Simple Assault | 200 |
| Burglary | 117 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 40 |
| Larceny | 147 |
| Arson | 4 |
| Total Number of Arrests | 907 |
Source: Mississippi Bureau of Investigation
It is situated in Lowndes county, Mississippi with a total number of 0 employees - female, male officers and civilians. Lowndes County SO ORI (Originated Agency Identifier) number is MS0440000, it belongs to the East South Central division in the South region with a region code of Region III.
| Department | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus Police Department | 1501 Main St | 662-244-3528 |