New Haven Arrest Records
Booking reports for New Haven show arrest info from the New Haven Police Department and state custody records from the Connecticut DOC. New Haven has about 135,000 residents and is the county seat of New Haven County. The city police use a Police to Citizen portal to post recent arrests online. Anyone can view this portal to see booking photos and arrest data. The site lists people arrested but not yet convicted. Since Connecticut merged all county jails under state control in 1968, inmates held in state custody appear in the DOC inmate search instead of a local jail roster.
New Haven Quick Facts
Recent Arrests in New Haven
The New Haven Police use a Police to Citizen portal to connect residents with booking info. The site has a recent arrests section that shows people arrested by city police. Each entry has a booking photo and basic arrest data. This does not show convictions. It only shows who was arrested and booked. The info does not mean guilt. Courts decide that later.
You can view the recent arrests catalog directly on the portal. The page updates with new arrests as they happen. It is a quick way to see booking reports for New Haven without calling the police or going to the station. The portal also has a feature to report incidents, but that is not the same as searching booking records.
For older arrest records or full police reports, call the records line at (203) 946-6312. Police reports may have more detail than the online arrest catalog. The records staff can help you get copies of reports if you need them for legal or personal reasons. Fees may apply for copies, and some reports may not be available until after court proceedings finish.
New Haven Arrest Lookup
Another tool is the city arrest lookup page. This search tool lets you find arrest data by name or other criteria. It pulls from city police records and shows results in a simple format. The tool is free to use and does not require an account. Just enter the name and see what comes up.
Keep in mind that arrest data can have errors. Names may be spelled wrong, dates might not match, or records could be incomplete. If you find something that looks off, contact the police records division to check. They can fix mistakes in the system. Also, some records may not show up if they involve juveniles, ongoing investigations, or sealed cases.
Connecticut DOC Inmate Records
If someone from New Haven is in state custody, you can search the Connecticut DOC inmate database. This system shows all current inmates held by the state Department of Correction. The search works by name, DOC number, or date of birth. Results show the inmate photo, current location, offense, admission date, and release dates if known.
The DOC updates the database each day. It has info on sentenced inmates and those on accused status waiting for trial. Being in custody does not mean a conviction. Some people are held while their case is pending. The database does not include youthful offenders or ICE detainees. For confirmation of a conviction, contact the State Police Bureau of Identification, which maintains official criminal history records in Connecticut.
Note: The Connecticut DOC held inmates at the New Haven area facilities, but all county jails were consolidated under state control in 1968.
Court Case Search for New Haven
Court records for New Haven cases are at the Judicial Branch criminal lookup site. This state system has several search tools. You can search convictions by defendant name, look up pending cases, check daily dockets by court, or find arrest warrants. The site covers all judicial districts in Connecticut, including New Haven.
Conviction info stays on the site for ten years after sentencing unless court rules say it should come down sooner. The site removes conviction data one month before the end of that period. Juvenile cases, youthful offender cases, and infractions do not appear. The court notes that data may change due to erasures, pardons, or corrections. For court phone numbers and locations, check the site lists by judicial district.
Available searches include:
- Convictions by defendant name
- Convictions by docket number
- Pending cases by defendant name
- Pending cases by docket number
- Daily dockets by court
- Arrest warrants
New Haven Crime and Arrest Data
New Haven County had 22,211 criminal arrests in 2021. The city of New Haven accounted for 11,308 of those arrests, the most in the county. The violent crime rate for New Haven was 34.1 per 10,000 residents in 2021, and the property crime rate was 229.2. These rates are higher than other parts of the county. The city has three judicial districts: New Haven, Ansonia-Milford, and Waterbury. New Haven itself falls under the New Haven judicial district.
Crime rates help show trends in arrests and charges. They do not mean every arrest leads to a conviction. Many charges are dropped, dismissed, or reduced. If you want to see what happened with a specific arrest, search the court records using the Judicial Branch site. That will show the outcome of the case, not just the arrest.
Connecticut Freedom of Information Act
Arrest records in New Haven are public under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act. Section 1-215 of the Connecticut General Statutes says records of arrests are public. Police must provide the name, address, date, time, place, and offense for each arrest. They can give you the arrest report, incident report, or a news release about the arrest.
Some records are not public. These include records of ongoing investigations, juvenile arrests, sealed or expunged records, and personal info of sexual assault victims. Medical details in arrest records may also be withheld. If you request a record and get denied, you can file a complaint with the Freedom of Information Commission within 30 days. The commission is in Hartford and can be reached at (860) 566-5682 or toll-free at (866) 374-3617.
Automatic Erasure of Arrest Records
Connecticut has automatic erasure rules under General Statutes § 54-142a. Certain arrest records qualify for erasure without you having to file a petition. If your case resulted in a not guilty verdict, the records erase right away. If your case was dismissed or nolled, the records erase 13 months after the dismissal or nolle. Misdemeanor convictions can erase seven years after the case ends. Some felonies erase ten years later.
The Clean Slate program at the state level also helps with erasure. It covers eligible offenses listed in state law. Even if an offense is on the list, it may not qualify if it was a family violence crime. Check Connecticut General Statutes § 54-142a for the full rules. If you think your record should be erased, contact the court or a lawyer for help. Once erased, the record should not show up in public searches, but it may take time for all systems to update.
Note: Erasure removes the record from public view but does not destroy it completely for law enforcement purposes.
Other Connecticut Cities with Arrest Records
Other cities in New Haven County and nearby counties have online arrest records too. Waterbury, Hamden, and Meriden are in New Haven County. Hartford and Bridgeport are in other counties but have similar online systems. Check each city police department website for booking info and records contact details.
Nearby cities over 25,000 population:
New Haven County Booking Reports
New Haven is in New Haven County. The county had over 22,000 arrests in 2021 across three judicial districts. For more on county-wide arrest statistics, local police departments, and state inmate data, visit the New Haven County page.