Search Grand Rapids Recent Arrests

Grand Rapids recent arrests are handled by the city police department and the Kent County Sheriff. As the second largest city in Michigan, Grand Rapids has a steady flow of arrests and bookings each week. The police department processes arrests within city limits, and the Kent County Jail holds most people after booking. You can search for recent arrests in Grand Rapids through the Kent County jail viewer, state databases, or by contacting the police directly. This page explains the main ways to look up Grand Rapids arrest records.

Grand Rapids Police Department

The Grand Rapids Police Department is located at 1 Division Avenue North in downtown Grand Rapids. The main phone number is (616) 456-3400. Officers respond to calls across the city and make arrests for everything from misdemeanors to felonies. After an arrest, the person is booked and typically transferred to the Kent County Jail for holding. The police department keeps records of every arrest their officers make, and these are available through FOIA requests.

To get a copy of an arrest report from Grand Rapids Police, you file a FOIA request under MCL § 15.231. Include the name of the person, the date of the arrest if you know it, and what documents you want. The department has five business days to respond. Fees are usually around $1 per page for standard copies. Grand Rapids Police also puts out press releases about major arrests and investigations on their website and social media pages.

Under MCL § 28.242, all Grand Rapids arrests get reported to the Michigan State Police within 72 hours. This feeds into the ICHAT database.

Kent County Jail and Bookings

The Kent County Sheriff runs the county jail where most Grand Rapids arrests end up. The jail has a web-based inmate viewer that is one of the better tools in the state. You can access it at eisjailviewer.kentcountymi.gov. The viewer shows current inmates, booking dates, charges, and bond information. It updates throughout the day as new people are booked in or released. This is the fastest way to check if someone was recently arrested in Grand Rapids.

The Kent County Jail Viewer is a real-time tool. If someone was arrested and already released, they might not show up anymore. For older records, you would need to file a request with the Kent County Sheriff's office. The jail is one of the larger facilities in West Michigan and processes bookings from Grand Rapids, Wyoming, and other Kent County cities. Visit the full Kent County recent arrests page for more on county-level records and resources.

Grand Rapids Court Records

After an arrest in Grand Rapids, the case goes to court. Misdemeanors and initial hearings happen at the 61st District Court. It is located at 180 Ottawa Avenue NW in Grand Rapids. Felony cases start there too but eventually move to the 17th Circuit Court for trial. The circuit court is at 180 Ottawa Avenue NW as well, in the Kent County Courthouse. Both courts keep public records of all criminal cases under MCL § 600.1420.

You can search Grand Rapids court cases through the MiCOURT portal. The tool is free. Enter a name or case number to find case status, hearing dates, and party names. For full documents, you may need to visit the clerk's office. The Michigan Courts website also has links to both the 61st District and 17th Circuit Court.

Search Grand Rapids Arrests Online

Three state databases help you find Grand Rapids recent arrests. ICHAT is the statewide criminal history tool from the Michigan State Police. It costs $10 per search and shows felonies and serious misdemeanors. You need a name and date of birth. Grand Rapids arrests will show up in ICHAT once they are reported by the police department.

OTIS is a free tool from the Michigan Department of Corrections. It tracks people in state prison or on parole. If someone arrested in Grand Rapids was sentenced to state time, you can find them on OTIS by name or MDOC number. The database covers current inmates and people discharged in the last three years.

The Michigan State Police website at michigan.gov/msp provides access to ICHAT and other statewide law enforcement tools.

From the Michigan State Police site you can run ICHAT background checks, find sex offender information, and access other statewide arrest databases relevant to Grand Rapids.

VINELink sends free alerts when custody status changes. You can register for notifications about someone held in the Kent County Jail or a state prison. It covers releases, transfers, and escapes.

Clearing Grand Rapids Arrest Records

Under MCL § 780.621, Michigan's Clean Slate law lets people petition to remove old convictions. Up to two felonies can be set aside after 10 years and four misdemeanors after seven years. The petition goes to the 17th Circuit Court for Grand Rapids cases. The fee is $50 with waivers available. Not all offenses qualify. Violent crimes, sex offenses, and long sentences are excluded.

MCL § 28.243 covers arrest records that did not lead to a conviction. If charges were dropped or you were found not guilty, you may be able to get the arrest record removed sooner. Michigan Legal Help has free tools and guides to check your eligibility. MCL § 445.1883 also makes it illegal for websites to charge fees to remove mugshot photos. The Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry is a separate tool that tracks registered offenders in Grand Rapids and statewide.

Kent County Arrest Records

Grand Rapids is the county seat of Kent County. The Kent County Sheriff processes bookings and maintains jail records for the entire county. For a broader look at arrest records across all Kent County cities, check the county page.

View Kent County Recent Arrests

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Grand Rapids. Each has its own police force and arrest records you can search.