Forsyth County is responsible for about 9,500 arrests out of North Carolina's yearly average of 235,000 arrests. Public access to records created and kept by government entities, including arrest records, is made possible by the North Carolina Public Records Act. Depending on the agency, it costs between $0.25 and $30 to obtain copies of Forsyth County arrest records.
However, certain arrest records are exempted from public access by law or court orders. Exempt records in Forsyth County include juvenile arrest records, sealed records, records of active investigations, and medical records. These records can only be accessed by authorized individuals, such as law enforcement officers, judicial officers, those named on the records, their legal representatives, and the Forsyth County Attorney's Office.
Forsyth County arrest records are accessible through various agencies, such as the state's law enforcement agencies, local police departments, and the county sheriff's office.
Requests for arrest records in Forsyth County can be sent to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office creates, maintains, and makes available arrest records upon request. To obtain these records, interested individuals can contact the Sheriff's Office during business hours at:
Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Records Division
301 North Church Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Phone: (336) 917-7001
They can also use the Police-to-Citizen portal to find details about persons arrested in the county.
Anyone can obtain arrest records from the Forsyth County police departments upon request. For an effective record search, they must supply the arrestee's name and the date of the arrest. The public can also see arrest and incident logs online from some police departments in the county. For instance, the Kernersville PD P2C platform provides details of inmates in their custody. Similarly, the Winston-Salem PD provides an online platform that can be used to search for arrests made within the previous six months.
Major police departments in the county include the following:
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) collates, analyzes, and maintains a centralized database of criminal records across North Carolina, including Forsyth County. The NCSBI provides a platform for individuals to request their personal criminal records and for authorized entities like professional bodies and employers to request individuals' criminal records. Interested parties can contact the NCSBI for detailed information at:
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation 3320 Garner Road Raleigh, NC 27626-0500
Phone: (919) 582-8660
Fax: (919) 661-5977
Forsyth County's criminal court records include arrest records of arrests that led to charges. The Forsyth County Clerk of the Superior Court's Office maintains criminal court records for the county. Interested persons can contact the courthouse during business hours at:
Clerk of the Superior Court
175 North Chestnut Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Phone: (336) 779-6300
They can use the public terminals on the grounds or request copies at a fee. They can also mail completed Form AOC-CR-314 to:
Forsyth County Courthouse
P.O. Box 20099
Winston-Salem, NC 27120
Additionally, trustworthy third-party websites like InfoTracer offer quicker and more convenient access to Forsyth County.
Forsyth County has an arrest rate of 3,455 per 100,000 population. Some arrest figures for adults and juveniles recorded in Forsyth County are shown below:
| Arrest Type | Number of Arrests |
|---|---|
| Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter | 27 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 6 |
| Robbery | 65 |
| Rape | 9 |
| Aggravated Assault | 280 |
| Simple Assault | 1,255 |
| Burglary | 172 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 15 |
| Larceny | 870 |
| Arson | 4 |
| Total Number of Arrests | 9,427 |
Source: North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
| Name | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Forsyth Correctional Center | 307 Craft Drive | 336-896-7041 |