Populated by more than 914,000 people, Hidalgo County ranks as the ninth most populous county in Texas. Its southern boundary is formed by the Rio Grande, which serves as the international border with Mexico. Hidalgo County forms part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan area, and its major cities include Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr, and Weslaco.
Property crime is the most common type of crime in Hidalgo County, while homicide occurs far less frequently. The county's average violent crime rate is 122.4 per 100,000 population, and the average property crime rate is 202.2 per 100,000 population.
The Texas Constitution assigns the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office the duty of operating the county jail. The office oversees jail staff, manages inmate intake and release, and maintains overall facility security.
The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office manages county-level jail and booking information. Federal agencies, local police departments, and constables have the authority to make arrests within the county and generate their own arrest records. These records become available to the Sheriff's Office when the arrested individual is booked into the Hidalgo County jail.
In Hidalgo County, public safety is handled by several agencies, including the county sheriff, local police departments, campus police, and federal authorities.
Arrest records and the county jail roster are most often provided by the Sheriff's Office. Some of the functions of the county sheriff's office include:
Local police departments can investigate crimes, gather evidence, and make arrests when needed. Although these departments enforce laws within city limits and maintain their own records, individuals are booked into the county jail. Within Hidalgo County, police departments are situated in municipalities such as the city of Hidalgo, Alamo, Alton, Donna, Elsa, Edcouch, Edinburg, La Joya, La Villa, McAllen, Mercedes, Mission, Palmview, Palmhurst, Progresso, Penitas, Pharr, San Juan, Sullivan, and Weslaco.
As the state police, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) can investigate statewide or interjurisdictional crimes. When an arrest is made within Hidalgo County, the individual is booked into the county jail, and the records can appear in county logs.
Federal agencies such as the DEA, FBI, Homeland Security, and the ATF typically conduct investigations and may make arrests when an individual is suspected of violating federal laws. Unless the individual is held temporarily in the county jail, their arrests may not show in the county arrest logs.
Campus police manage on-campus incidents and make arrests within the university or college premises. Individuals arrested are typically booked into the county jail. The two campus police departments in Hidalgo County are the South Texas College Department of Public Safety and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Police Department.
Other specialized agencies maintain public safety in Hidalgo County, including:
Hidalgo County arrest records may comprise the following details:
To protect individual privacy, certain records, including materials connected to juveniles or ongoing investigations, are treated as confidential and may be withheld from public disclosure under applicable laws. In addition, the details in arrest records may vary depending on the holding agency.
On average, the property and violent crime rates in Hidalgo County are 202.2 and 122.4 per 100,000 population, respectively. The county has experienced a slight increase in Group A offenses like aggravated assault, rape, and motor vehicle theft.
The table below shows a breakdown of arrest statistics in Hidalgo County:
Arrest Total | Yearly Average |
|---|---|
Adult Arrests | 12,210 |
Juvenile Arrests | 1,540 |
Total Arrests | 13,750 |
Crime Type | |
Murder | 30 |
Rape | 510 |
Robbery | 260 |
Aggravated Assault | 14,560 |
Burglary | 1,500 |
Larceny | 11,770 |
Motor Vehicle Theft | 1,250 |
Source:Texas DPS Uniform Crime Reporting System
Common Warrant Types in Hidalgo County, TX
Several types of warrants may appear in public arrest records in Hidalgo County. Warrants are issued by the courts for different legal reasons and may result in the arrest of an individual and their booking into the county jail. Although the terminology and procedures can vary slightly depending on state law, the following are the most common types of warrants:
An arrest warrant is issued when law enforcement or a prosecutor shows probable cause that a person committed a crime. These warrants often appear in arrest logs and can be executed by authorized officers.
A bench warrant is issued by a judge when someone fails to appear in court or comply with a court order. It is one of the most common warrant types found in county arrest records.
A civil capias warrant is issued in civil court cases when someone disobeys a court order, such as failing to appear or comply. It can lead to arrest and booking despite originating in a civil matter.
A fugitive warrant is issued when a person is wanted in another county or state. Such cases often involve extradition and will show up in county arrest logs if the person is arrested locally.
A governor's warrant is a formal warrant issued by a state governor to initiate extradition between states. While less common, it can appear in arrest or court records for interstate cases.
A search warrant authorizes law enforcement to search property or seize evidence. While not the same as arrest warrants, searches may lead to arrests and be reflected in related cases or arrest reports.
You may access Hidalgo County arrest records maintained by local police departments by visiting the arresting agency in person. Most departments have a Records Division staffed with personnel who handle public records requests, including those for arrest information. To save time, you may submit your request through the department's public information request portal on its website.
Additionally, the Record Inquiry website provides online access to Hidalgo County inmate information. You may search by the defendant's name or booking number, and to narrow the results, you may include the inmate's date of birth and booking number.
The following are local police departments and detention facilities in Hidalgo County:
Agency Name: Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office
City: Edinburg, Texas
Type: County law enforcement agency
Address: 711 El Cibolo Road, Edinburg, TX 78541
Phone Number: (956) 383-8114
Staffing: The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office employs over 100 personnel
Police Department | Address | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|
McAllen Police Department | 1601 N Bicentennial Blvd, McAllen, TX 78501 | (956) 681-2000 |
Edinburgh Police Department | 1702 S Closner Blvd, Edinburg, TX 78539 | (956) 383-7411 |
Mission Police Department | 1200 E 8th St, Mission, TX 78572 | (956) 584-5000 |
Pharr Police Department | 1900 S Cage Blvd, Pharr, TX 78577 | (956) 402-4700 |
Weslaco Police Department | 300 S. Bridge Avenue, Weslaco, TX 78596 | (956) 968-8591 |
San Juan Police Department | 2301 N Raul Longoria Rd, San Juan, TX 78589 | (956) 223-2400 |
Alamo Police Department | 423 N Tower Rd, Alamo, TX 78516 | (956) 787-1454 |
Alton Police Department | 509 S Alton Blvd, Alton, TX 78573 | (956) 432-0700 |
Donna Police Department | 207 S 10th St, Donna, TX 78537 | (956) 464-4481 |
Mercedes Police Department | 316 S Ohio Ave, Mercedes, TX 78570 | (956) 565-3114 |