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MESSAGE FROM SHERIFF
RODNEY WRIGHT  ( read  )
Phone
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency: 501.303.5648
Detention Center: 501.303.5642
Crime Tips: 501.303.5744
Drug Hotline: 501.303.5741
Fax
501.303.5747
Address
735 South Neeley St.
Benton, Arkansas 72015
Administrative Office
M-F 8am - 4:30pm
Phone: 501.303.5609
Frequently Asked Questions

BODY ATTACHMENTS - What does this mean?

Body Attachments are court orders usually issued in child support enforcement actions.  They are very similar to warrants of arrest that are issued in criminal cases.

A Body Attachment orders and directs law enforcement officers to seize the body of the person named in the order and hold that person in custody pending further orders of the court.

Most Body Attachments (but not all) will have language indicating that the person can be released from custody if a prescribed cash amount is paid to secure his release.  This amount may or may not equal the total of delinquent child support payments. Other Body Attachments will require the person to remain in custody until brought before the Judge
who issued the order.  Body Attachments can be served in any part of the State, just as arrest warrants can.

Any monies that the Sheriff's Office collects from Body Attachment actions will be held and distributed as later directed by the court or as prescribed under the law.

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CHILD SAFETY SEAT - At what age does my child have to be in a child safety or booster seat?

Arkansas Law requires that a child under six (6) years of age or sixty (60) pounds, be restrained in a child passenger seat properly secured to the vehicle.  Any child over six (6) and under fifteen (15) years of age must be secured in a seatbelt.
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CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS - How do I obtain one?

Criminal Background Checks - General: The Sheriff's Office may provide certain information to the public that is available for public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.  This would include information from the Sheriff's Office Records Management System on Incident/Offense Reports, Accident Reports, Jail Booking Records, Warrant

Records, Civil Process Records, Citations, and Dispatch Logs/Complaint Cards.  Exceptions would be for records relating to active/ongoing investigations, certain personnel
records, records that have been sealed/expunged by court order, and records involving juvenile offenders or juvenile suspects.  There are nominal fees associated with processing these requests.  The Sheriff's Office is prohibited by law from providing criminal history or background information of any kind from the Arkansas Crime Information Center database or the National Crime Information Center database.  In addition, we cannot provide information relating to records maintained by any other law enforcement agency.  You would need to contact those agencies directly for information from their records.

The Arkansas State Police Identification Bureau in Little Rock can provide a more thorough criminal history check that encompasses all jurisdictions in Arkansas. Information on their procedures can be found on the Arkansas State Police web site at www.asp.state.ar.us

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EVICTION - How do I evict someone or have them evicted?

Eviction Procedures: In cooperation with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, we have established specific protocols we use in handling eviction procedures for persons who have failed or refused to pay rent.  While there may be other reasons for a landlord or property owner wanting to evict a tenant, the ONLY circumstances that the Sheriff’s Office can become involved in under the law is Eviction for Non-Payment of rent.  All other types of evictions for all other reasons must be handled through an attorney in civil court.  For cases of non-payment of rent, the renter/tenant must be served in person or by notice clearly posted, either by the landlord or by a Sheriff’s Deputy ($30.00 charge) with an Eviction Notice.  This notice will give the renter/tenant ten (10) days from the day of service to vacate the premises. Any further proceedings would be only by direction of the District Court Judge.

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FINGERPRINTS - How can I be fingerprinted for work/job purposes?

Fingerprints: The Sheriff’s Office will fingerprint persons upon request as part of pre-employment criminal history background checks.  We do NOT fingerprint on Mondays or Thursdays, but should be able to on other weekdays during normal office hours.  The person will need to go to the Detention Center to be printed.  We do not fingerprint after office hours or during weekends or holidays.

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Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests

All person's requesting any information must provide proof of Arkansas residency.

Pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), specifically Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(a)(1)(A),public records are only open for inspection and copying by Arkansas citizens during the regular business hours of the custodian of the records. Please provide proof of Arkansas residency, or information sufficient for the custodian to determine your residency, when making your FOIA request.

How can I request information under the FOIA? (Note that information with an asterisk (*) is required for any request).

                                                  SCSO

                                                  735 S. Neeley Street

                                                  Benton, AR 72015

  • Information to provide in your request:
    • Your name*, complete address (home and/or email)*, and phone number*, 
    • Your drivers license number or some other proof that you are a resident of Arkansas* (reference AR Code Ann. § 25-19-105(a)(1)(A)),
    • Date of the request* (if making the request in person, otherwise the email will have the date marked on it already).
  • To facilitate your request, please be as specific as possible about the information for which you are asking. 
  • Please state:
    • Type of information you want (i.e., incident report, vehicle accident report, jail booking reports (ADR's), etc.),
    • Date/s of incident or a date range (start and stop) for the dates of the information you are asking for,
    • Subjects name and date of birth (if known),
      • Records can also be located using address, social security number, driver's license number,
    • Any additional information about the records you are seeking that may be helpful in locating them. 

What information will most likely be redacted?  Click here to see our most common redactions.  

Who can request information under the FOIA?  Any citizen of the State of Arkansas.

What are the HOURS OF THE CUSTODIAN OF RECORDS? The FOIA Analyst, while not a custodian of all records, handles most information requests. This position is not a full time position. Currently the hours are flexible with no more than 20 hours weekly. Once those hours are completed for the week, all requests are on hold until the following week.  Most often, the FOIA Analyst is in the office from 8am-12pm Mon-Thurs. 

What other methods are available to me to request information under FOIA?  Walk-in, phone call (501-303-5609), and fax (501)303-5747.

  •      *note that information may not be available immediately, as requests usually need time to be properly redacted.  The FOIA Analyst working your request has up to three days to respond to your request. Keep this in mind if requesting records for an upcoming court case.

Is the FOIA Analyst the custodian of records? The SCSO FOIA Analyst is not the holder/custodian of records, but most of the time, has access to each custodian of record in order to complete the FOIA requests.  If holder's of records are out of the office, a request may need more time to complete. 

How will I receive my requested information? Most records, when fully redacted, can be emailed or transferred/accessed using google drive. Due to security concerns, unredacted information that is protected by law will not be emailed or faxed. It must be printed (or downloaded to electronic medium) for pick-up in person or mailing certified mail. 

How much will my FOIA request cost? 

  • $.25 per printed page, one side only
  • $.35 per printed page, both sides
    • Should documents need to be printed and scanned to complete your request (even if receiving by electronic medium), each printed paper incurs a cost of per page  
      • That cost doubles if the information needs to be printed, then redacted, then printed again for consumer pick-up or receipt by mail (because each page is printed twice). 
      • NOTE: SCSO is paper conscious as we attempt to move toward digital records.  Therefore, printing is avoided as much as possible.
  • $.30 standard letter white envelope
  • $1.00 large manila envelope
  • $1.00 SCSO provided disk (cd) and paper sleeve (this option is based on availability)
  • $1.00 SCSO provided hard plastic disk case (used when mailing disks via certified mail)
  • $.51 postage stamp (price subject to change based on weight of envelope and current price of U.S.P.S. postage stamp.
  • $ VARIED COST of certified mail.
    • Certified mail will be used to mail unredacted protected information to the requestor.
    • The price is based on U.S.P.S. price for certified mail.  Most often, if a less expensive method is available that ensures requestor receipt of documents by U.S.P.S., it will be used. 

When must I pay for my FOIA request? Walk-in's will make their payment before leaving with their requested documents. If certified mail is requested, most payments must be made in advance of mailing.  Any refunds due will be managed between the FOIA Analyst and the requesting party. 

Can I have my documents downloaded to a disk rather than pay for paper copies?  Yes. 

  • NOTE: ALL electronic medium provided by the requestor MUST BE provided NEW and in UNOPENED packaging.
  • The cost is $1 per disk if the disk is not provided by the requestor. A paper sleeve is included.  All electronic medium provided by the SCSO is based on current availability.
  • Requestor provided medium MUST BE dropped off in person and either picked up in person, or
  • The requestor may choose to receive their requested information via USPS certified mail.  This method of receipt incurs the cost of the disk ($1) and a hard plastic disk case ($.25), cost of the mailing envelope ($.30) for standard letter size or $1 for large manila envelope,  plus the cost of the certified mail (cost varies and depends on weight). 
  • In most cases, electronic medium receipt requires no printing and incurs no printing costs. However, regardless of the choice of medium chosen for receipt, if information requires the FOIA Analyst or other employee to print on paper in order to complete the request, the cost is $.25 per page.

Can I have my documents downloaded to a flash drive? Yes, the requestor MUST provide a NEW and UNOPENED flash drive. The note above regarding disks and costs applies to all electronic medium. 

Can I request information for any incident in Saline County? The SCSO does not hold incident reports for incidents handled by other police departments (i.e. city police such as Benton PD, Alexander PD, Shannon Hills PD, Sheridan PD, Bauxite PD, Bryant PD and/or surrounding county sheriff departments). All incident reports held in our systems are incidents to which an officer of the Sheriff's office responded within Saline County.

Can I request 911 calls/recordings? SCSO is not the holder of records for 911 calls/recordings.  These requests must be made to the central dispatch non-emergency phone number  (501) 303-5648. 

Can I request mass records or information on a certain topic from police reports over a period of time (ex:  # deaths by vehicle accident from 2010-2020 or all police reports for death by firearm in 2021)? If the record does not already exist in this form, SCSO will not be able to assist in this research effort due to limited resources. 

Other local departments FOIA request Points of Contact (POC): 

  • Alexander PD: POC is JBurnett@cityofalexander.com (501)455-2585 ext. 107 or 108
  • Benton PD: POC is Cissy Cissy@bentonpolice.org (501)776-5948
  • Bryant PD: POC is jmcdermott@cityofbryant.com (501)943-0943 ext. 1

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MISSING PERSONS - How and under what conditions can I report someone missing?

Missing Person reports are separated into two general categories:

Missing/Runaway Juveniles: The parent or guardian of any juvenile (under 18 years of age) may file a missing person-runaway juvenile report at any time.  These reports will be immediately entered into the NCIC/ACIC law enforcement database, which would serve to alert any officer from any jurisdiction having contact with the juvenile that he or she is
listed as missing or a runaway.  Radio notification will be made to all officers on duty. Deputies will also follow-up on any leads provided by the parent/guardian as to the
possible location of the juvenile.

Missing Adults: Any person eighteen (18) years of age or older is considered to be an adult with full freedom of movement and liberty.  Exceptions would include persons 18 years
of age or older who remain under the legal guardianship of another adult or protective services.  Deputies will take reports of missing adults at any time. The extent of any
follow-up will depend upon the circumstances of the disappearance.  For example, if evidence indicated that the missing person was endangered or may have been forcibly abducted, deputies would immediately begin follow-up on leads.  If the missing person simply has not been seen recently but no evidence of foul play was found to exist, then our options and responsibilities in those cases are limited under the law and department policy.

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POLICE REPORTS - How do I get a copy?

Obtaining Copies of Reports and Records: Most Sheriff’s Office records are public information under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and are available for public viewing, and for copying for a nominal fee.  There are several exceptions to this, including specifically reports and paperwork relating to criminal cases remaining open and under
investigation, certain personnel records, records sealed/expunged by court order, and records relating to juveniles (under 18 years of age).  We will not compile statistical or
comparative data for individuals, nor will Administration Staff offer comment on reports or documents prepared and filed by individual deputies.

Accident Reports: Patrol deputies prepare traffic accident reports on accidents they have investigated on county roads.  These reports are filed with clerical staff within five (5) days of the date of the accident.  There is a nominal fee for copies of these reports. Although deputies frequently arrive at accident scenes on Arkansas State Highways and U. S. Highways to assist the State Police, the deputy will generally not investigate the accident himself.  That is the responsibility of the State Police under the law. Reports from those accidents are filed with the Arkansas State Police Headquarters, and they are not available from the Sheriff’s Office.

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PROTECTION ORDERS - How do I get one and when do they go into effect?

ORDERS OF PROTECTION:

A. Orders issued by the Circuit Court to protect victims in Domestic Violence situations.

B. To be eligible, the victim must have been in a “Domestic Type Relationship” with the offender, within the definition of the law.  The definition includes married people, people related within the 4th degree of consanguinity, people who have lived together, had a child together, or have been in a dating relationship.  Parents or advocates may also obtain, or assist in obtaining, Orders of Protection on behalf of others in some circumstances.

C. Application/Petition forms to obtain Orders of Protection are available at the Sheriff's Office Domestic Violence Unit.  The Domestic Violence Advocate can and will assist the victim/applicant in filling out the forms.

D. There are no costs associated with this order, no filing fees, no service fees.

E. The completed application form is presented to a Circuit Judge for review.

F. The victim/applicant may have to answer questions from the Judge before he decides whether or not to issue the order.  There must be sufficient grounds to issue the order.

G. If the application is approved, the Circuit Judge will issue an Ex Parte (Temporary) Order of Protection.  This Order will be delivered to the Sheriff’s Office to be served on the offender.  The Order has no validity and cannot be enforced until and unless the offender has been served with the Order.

H. When the offender is served, the Order will specify a court hearing date and time.  The offender may appear to challenge the Order at that time.

I. At the time of the hearing, the Judge may make the order permanent (up to 10 years), may modify the provisions of the order, or may drop or terminate the temporary order.

J. The order may award temporary custody of children or dependents to the applicant/victim, may order spousal support, may award temporary possession of a residence or personal property, and may prevent the offender from having any contact with the victim, the victim’s children, family, or etc.

K. Any person who violates any provision of the Order of Protection has committed a crime, specifically a Class A Misdemeanor, the punishment for which is up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to one (1) year in jail.  The Judge issuing the Order can also punish for Contempt of Court.

L. Officers may make an arrest without a warrant if there is probable cause to believe the Order of Protection has been violated or broken by the offender.

M. Mutual (two-way) Orders of Protection are not permitted, however the parties involved may obtain separate Order of Protection against one another if grounds exist to convince a Judge to grant them.

Victims of Domestic Violence are encouraged to apply for Orders of Protection, because it is a crime to violate them.  This gives law enforcement much great authority to enforce the provisions of these orders and results in a new charge being filed.  The same cannot be said for violating other kinds of orders.

RESTRAINING ORDERS:

A. These are civil court orders generally issued in divorce cases.

B. There are filing fees and service fees involved, and the services of attorney are generally required to obtain a Restraining Order.

C. A person who defies the provisions of a Restraining Order has not committed a criminal offense.  The remedy for violating a Restraining Order is to petition the court to hold the offender/violator in Contempt of Court, the punishment for which is generally a small civil fine.

Restraining Orders are generally ineffective in Domestic Violence cases because they have no real teeth to them.

NO CONTACT ORDERS:

A. Any person taken into custody for a criminal offense resulting from a Domestic Violence incident will generally be issued a standing No Contact Order at the time of his or her release from custody.  This order is issued as a condition of bail or condition of release.

B. The order remains in effect until lifted or terminated by a Judge, but can generally be valid for no more than two (2) years.

C. A person who violates a No Contact Order has not committed a crime, rather he or she has violated the conditions of bail or release and can be taken back into custody by the officer until appearing in person before a Judge. The bail is basically revoked.

The Sheriff’s Office has pre-printed information available on how to obtain Orders of Protection, how to obtain the services of a victim’s advocate, and how to obtain the services of a shelter. Any deputy will be glad to provide these materials or try to answer any questions about the Sheriff’s Office procedures in responding to and investigating incidents of Domestic Violence.
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WARRANT OF ARREST - How do I find out if I have a warrant for my arrest? What do I do if I have one?

The Sheriff's Office maintains thousands of Warrants of Arrest issued by the District Court and Circuit Court.  All of these warrants constitute public records under the Freedom of Information Act.  Any person can obtain information on arrest warrants pertaining to himself or herself or any other person by placing phone call to the Sheriff's Office.  Such information as the date of the warrant, charge(s)specified on the warrant, bond amount, and issuing court can be provided.

Many arrest warrants are served by deputies working in the field, either during vehicle stops or by visiting the last known home address or work address of the person named in the warrant. Other warrants are served when people voluntarily surrender themselves to the Sheriff's Office after learning a warrant exists for their arrest.

Most warrants will have a bond specified by the court that a person in custody is required to post before being released.  Other warrants are "No Bond" warrants, and the person must remain in custody until appearing before a Judge for further proceedings.

On those warrants that have a bond amount specified, the Sheriff's Office will accept either cash for the bond or a surety bond issued by a professional licensed bail bonding company. The Sheriff's Office generally will not accept or approve an O/R Bond (release on own recognizance) or a property bond.

Misdemeanor arrest warrants may be served anywhere in the State of Arkansas.  Felony arrest warrants are extraditable from anywhere within the United States.  The Sheriff's Office
is very aggressive in serving arrest warrants, and extradition will generally be authorized whenever we are notified a person is in custody in another jurisdiction on a Saline County warrant.

Any person wanting information about an arrest warrant or how to take care of an active warrant should contact the Sheriff's Office.  We will make every effort to make a reasonable accommodation to allow the person satisfy the warrant within the boundaries of the law and department policy.
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SEX OFFENDERS - What are the different levels and what do they mean?

Convicted Sex Offenders are required by law to register with law enforcement.  The Saline County Sheriff's Office is the law enforcement agency that handles the registration process of all Sex Offenders who reside in Saline County with the exception of those that reside within the any City limits.

There are four (4) levels of Sex Offenders under Arkansas Law. The levels represent the likelihood the Offender will re-offend.

Level 1 - Least likely to re-offend
Level 2 - Moderate risk to re-offend
Level 3 - High Risk to re-offend
Level 4 - Sexually Violent Predator

A convicted Sex Offender, who is assigned a risk level of 1, 2, or 3, is required to come in to the Sheriff's Office every 6 months to re-register.  A level 4 Sex Offender is required to come in every 3 months to re-register.

When a Sex Offender moves into the State of Arkansas, they are required to be evaluated before they are assigned a risk level.  This process sometimes will take several months or
longer before the State assigns a risk level.  Law Enforcement is not allowed to notify the public UNTIL a risk level has been assigned by the State of Arkansas.
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SEX OFFENDERS - What or who determines which sex offenders go on the website?

The Saline County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for notifying the public of where Registered Sex Offenders live.  Under Arkansas Law, we are only allowed to do public notification for Level 3 and Level 4 Sex Offenders. In 2007, a law was passed allowing us to do public notification on Level 2 Sex Offenders IF the Sex Offender was 18 years of age or older and the Victim was age 14 or under when the crime was committed.

In addition to posting the information on the website, we also do door to door notification within an area surrounding the residence of the Sex Offender.  Officers use fliers showing the offender’s picture and information about their crime, and go door to door notifying the neighbors of who the Sex Offender is and where they live.

It is the belief of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, that an informed public is a safer public. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect our children and our community.

 

 

 

 
Press Releases