Law enforcement agencies report over 1 million arrests in Texas annually, with about 600 of those arrests occurring in Van Zandt County. The Texas Public Information Act (TPIA) allows the public to view and obtain copies of records created and maintained by government agencies, including law enforcement agencies. Hence, anyone can access arrest records in the county. Depending on the record custodian and the details of the records, copies of arrest records may cost between $0.15 and $25 in the county.
However, to preserve privacy and protect individuals and sources, some records are not made public. These records include records of juveniles, expunged or sealed records, medical and mental health records, records of active investigations, and records that can endanger public safety or law enforcement activities. Only entities with legitimate interests, such as the persons named in the records, their legal representatives, law enforcement agencies, judicial officers, and the Van Zandt County District Attorney's Office, may access exempt records.
Arrest records in the County may be accessed through several government agencies, including local police departments, the County Sheriff's Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The county's arrest records can be examined and obtained from the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office. Interested persons must send their request by mail or in person to the Sheriff's Office during business hours at:
The County Sheriff's Office
1220 West Dallas Street
Canton, TX 75103
Phone: (903) 567-41033
Arrest records may also be obtained from Police Departments within the county. Record seekers must determine the Police Department responsible for the arrest and then contact their records division to make the request. PDs in the county may allow requests to be made by mail, fax, in person, or online. Requesters will typically need to provide basic details about the arrest, such as the arrestee's name, the location of the arrest, and the arrest date.
Fees may be charged to obtain copies of arrest records, and processing time varies. Also, some PDs make their arrest and incident logs available to the public online. Listed below are some notable Police Departments in the County:
The Texas Department of Public Safety's criminal history records contain details about arrests in the County. Record seekers can search for details of persons arrested in the county through the Criminal History Name Search platform. Additionally, they can request criminal records by mailing the completed Criminal History Records Information Request Form and a $10 payment to:
Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Records Division P.O. Box 15999 Austin, TX 78761
Record seekers can call the Criminal History Search Support Unit at (855) 481-7071 for more information.
Criminal court records in the County include arrest records of persons whose arrests resulted in prosecution. Interested persons can contact the Van Zandt County District Clerk or the County Clerk for the county's criminal court records. They can also search for the county's criminal court records on the Online Records Search platform.
Additionally, interested individuals may find the County's arrest records on reliable third-party websites like InfoTracer. These platforms compile public records from multiple sources, providing a convenient and fast way to access arrest records.
Van Zandt County reports an arrest rate of 9.69 per 1,000 people. Below are the county's arrest records for adults and juveniles.
| Arrest Type | Number of Arrests |
|---|---|
| Homicide | 2 |
| Assault offenses | 243 |
| Sex Offenses | 19 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 45 |
| Fraud Offenses | 29 |
| Larceny | 264 |
| Robbery | 1 |
| Burglary | 111 |
| Arson | 1 |
| Total Number of Arrests | 620 |
Source: Texas Department of Public Safety
It is situated in Van Zandt county, Texas with a total number of 72 employees - 8 female, 28 male officers and 36 civilians. Van Zandt County SO ORI (Originated Agency Identifier) number is TX2340000, it belongs to the West South Central division in the South region with a region code of Region III.
| Department | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Canton Police Department | 555 TX-243 | 903-567-4991 |
| Edgewood Police Department | 207 NE Front Street | (903)896-4100 |
| Grand Saline Police Department | 113 N Green St | (903)962-3145 |
| Van Police Department | 107 S Maple | (903)963-5222 |
| Name | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Van Zandt County TX Multi-Youth Center | 323 East Garland | 903-962-6292 |