Over 150,000 arrests are made in Missouri annually, with about 2,800 occurring in Newton County. The county's arrest records are accessible to the public according to the Missouri Sunshine Law. Anyone can obtain copies of arrest records in the county for a fee ranging from $0.25 to $30.
However, certain arrest records are restricted from public access for sensitivity, security, or privacy reasons. Arrest records of juveniles, medical and mental health records, expunged records, and records involving active investigations are typically closed to the public. Only authorized persons such as law enforcement officers, judicial officers, persons named on the records, their legal representatives, and the Newton County Prosecutor's Office may access confidential records in the county.
Arrest records may be accessed through several agencies, such as the Sheriff's Office, local Police Departments, the courts, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The county's arrest records are maintained and made available to the public upon request by the Newton County Sheriff's Office. Interested individuals may obtain arrest records by mailing or visiting the Sheriff's Office during business hours at:
The Sheriff's Office
208 West Coler Street
Neosho, MO 64850
Phone: (417) 451-8300
Fax: (636) 584-6877
Police Departments in the county provide access to police arrest records upon request. Prior to submitting a request, it is crucial to determine the location of the arrest. When making a request, the arrestee's name and the date of the arrest are usually required. There may also be applicable fees for copies, depending on the department. Additionally, some of the county's Police Departments offer online resources for viewing their arrest and incident logs. Major Police Departments in the county include the following:
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, through the Criminal Justice Information Center, provides access to criminal records from across the State of Missouri, including those from Newton County. Record seekers can register and use the agency's Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS) Name Search portal to access the county's criminal records at $15 per search. Alternatively, they can schedule a fingerprint scan appointment with an approved fingerprint vendor and use the MACH Fingerprint Search Portal. The vendor charges $11.50, and the fingerprint-based search costs $20. They can mail the complete package to:
Missouri State Highway Patrol CJIS Division P.O. Box 9500 Jefferson City, MO 65102-9500
Record seekers can contact the CJIS Division by phone at (573) 526-6153 for inquiries.
Criminal court records include arrest records for arrests that led to prosecution. The Circuit Court is the primary trial court in the county, and the Circuit Court Clerk maintains these records. Interested persons can visit the Circuit Court Clerk's Office to access the county's criminal court records at:
Circuit Court Clerk
Newton County Judicial Center
40th Judicial Circuit
123 East Main Street
P.O. Box 170
Neosho, MO 64850
Phone: (417) 451-8239
Fax: (417) 451-8298
They can also access the county's criminal court records online on the Missouri Courts Case.Net website. In addition, persons interested in looking up the County's arrest records may use reliable third-party websites like InfoTracer.
Newton County has an arrest rate of 46.6 per 1,000 population. Below are some arrest figures for both adults and juveniles during this period:
| Arrest Type | Number of Arrests |
|---|---|
| Criminal Homicide | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 |
| Robbery | 15 |
| Rape | 5 |
| Aggravated Assault | 81 |
| Arson | 3 |
| Burglary | 62 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 27 |
| Larceny | 214 |
| Total Number of Arrests | 2,828 |
Source: Missouri State Highway Patrol, Criminal Justice Information Center
| Department | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Granby Police Department | 228 Beaver Ave | (417)472-6135 |
| Neosho Police Department | 201 N College | (417)451-8012 |
| Seneca Police Department | PO Box 485 | (417)776-8158 |
| Diamond Police Department | 301 S Market St | (417)325-5411 |