Wisconsin records approximately 197,000 arrests yearly, and out of this, Eau Claire County makes at least 5,000 of those arrests. Wisconsin Public Records Law guarantees public access to most records held by state and local government bodies, unless specific exceptions apply. While the law generally favors openness of public records, it exempts records such as patient health care records, trade secrets, and active investigative records from disclosure. This is in order to protect the identity of individuals on record against endangerment.
Despite the law that exempts certain records from disclosure, certain government personnel such as the Office of the District Attorney, law enforcement officers, the subject of record, and their legal representatives are permitted by law to review such records. You may access arrest records for a fee, however the cost depends on the agency you are requesting records from.
Several law enforcement authorities in Eau Claire County, such as the police, Wisconsin State Patrol, and county Sheriff's Office, are responsible for maintaining arrest records in their jurisdiction.
Arrest records may be obtained via various channels from the Sheriff's Office in Eau Claire County. Interested persons may mail or fax their requests for arrest records, addressing it to:
Eau Claire County Sheriff's Office
Administrative Services/Records Division
721 Oxford Avenue
Suite 1400
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Phone: 715-839-4701
Fax: (715) 839-4854
If you would like to request a record check on an individual, you may do so by visiting or calling the Records Division of the Police Department in question during regular business hours. Also, some of these PDs usually have a public request portal that interested persons may utilize in channeling their request for arrest records.
In addition, you may submit a request online via the public records request page provided by the specific PD. This also allows you to check the status of a submitted request. Major Police Departments in Eau Claire County include:
You may make a public records request to any of the WSP-designated records custodians. Interested persons may submit a written request to access arrest records or via an online platform. You will be required to provide enough information that describes the record you are seeking to locate them. Subsequently, the records custodian will review your request and determine if the records exist. If the records are available, you will be allowed to inspect them or provided with copies after paying the applicable fee for reproduction of records.
Alternatively, you may request arrest records by mail by sending a mail-in request to the records custodian at the Wisconsin State Patrol Division Headquarters at:
Hill Farms State Office Building
4822 Madison Yards Way
9th Floor South
Madison, WI 53705
Phone: (608) 709-0058
Fax: (608) 267-4495
Persons apprehended by law enforcement agencies for criminal offenses may be transferred to the Criminal Court in Eau Claire County. The Clerk of Courts is the administrative record-keeping officer for the Eau Claire County Circuit Courts. In this respect, copies of court documents are available through the public access terminal at the Clerk of Court's Office, and they may be purchased for $1.25 per page. In addition, the public may visit the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website to view records online. The Clerk's Office is open from Monday to Friday (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) for consultation. For an in person visit, you may call the Clerk of Court to schedule an appointment at:
Government Center
2nd Floor
721 Oxford Ave
Suite 2220
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Phone: (715) 839-4816
Fax: (715) 839-4817
Note that many third-party websites also facilitate access to public records, including criminal records. InfoTracer is one such platform, aggregating government records for public use.
The statistics presented below, which are based on Uniform Crime Reporting data, indicate the number of arrests associated with offenses in Eau Claire County.
**Source: Wisconsin Department of Justice Uniform Crime Reporting Arrest Data
| Arrest Type | NUMBER OF ARRESTS |
|---|---|
| Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter | 2 |
| Rape | 10 |
| Robbery | 4 |
| Aggravated Assault | 45 |
| Department | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Altoona Police Department | 1904 Spooner Avenue | (715)839-6090 |
| Fall Creek Police Department | 122 E Lincoln Ave | (715)877-3231 |
| Name | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Regional Juvenile Detention Center | 721 Oxford Avenue | 715-839-6086 |