Indiana Police Departments Persons in Custody

In the 2021 census estimate, Indiana had 6,805,985 residents and 569 municipalities (towns or cities with over 2000 residents) with police departments. The police enforcement agencies in Indiana are divided into Tier I, which includes Municipal Police, and Tier II Town Marshal Agencies.

Inmate Search

Arrests, Warrant, Docket, Mugshot


There are hundreds of police departments in Indiana, with each small town having its police force. There are also Tier I College and University Police Agencies that patrol the college and university campuses. Tier I School Corporation Police Agencies that are Indiana-mandated police different school corporations and districts. In addition, the Police Agencies include Tier I Airport, Transit, and Railroad Police Agencies.

Indiana also employs Police Agencies in Hospitals (Tier II) Agencies Employing Special Police or Special Deputies. There are seven ILETB Certified Training Academies for police in Indiana. Altogether, there are 482 law enforcement agencies employing 13,171 sworn police officers.

Indiana Prison and Jail System includes two federal prisons, 20 state prisons, and four private. Two of these prisons house women only. The state has 15 work release facilities for low-risk inmates.

The four largest cities in Indiana include Indianapolis, with 887,642 residents; Fort Wayne, with 263,691 residents; Evansville, with 117,298 residents; and South Bend with 103,453 residents.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is at 50 North Alabama Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 phone 317-327-6582. The department has 1,700 sworn officers, 250 civilian employees, and one of the largest canine departments in the Nation. K9 teams are trained in narcotics detection, felony apprehension, and explosive detection.

Fort Wayne Police Department is located at Fort Wayne Police Department, 1 E. Main Street, Suite 108, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, Phone: 260-427-1222. The department lists its police blotter or information about a suspect on their website. Information includes name, arrest date, crime and action being taken. There are 680 sworn officers in the department, 62 civilians, and 14 police dogs. The department is a full-service, highly sophisticated professional agency with the mission of giving respect and concern to all citizens.
The Evansville Police Department employs 289 sworn officers, 31 civilian employees, and 10 Canine officers, who are dual-purpose patrol/narcotics. The Evansville Police Department strives to reflect the diversity of the City of Evansville. They are committed to partnering with the community and addressing crime and quality of life issues. The Police Department is at 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Evansville, IN,47708. Phone: 812-436-7896.

South Bend’s Police Department employs 220 officers and 10 K9 officers. The office is at 701 W. Sample St., South Bend, IN 46601, Phone: 574-235-7527. The South Bend Police Department’s mission is to strive for excellence in the quality of police service and to help ensure a safe community for everyone.

What is a Police Blotter?

Indiana law is specific on what the police blotter contains. Each arrest or police-public interaction must be registered on the blotter. Information on the police blotter should include the complainant’s name, address, call time, and nature. Initially, when police agencies were not computerized and were mostly dependent on human interaction, an officer at the department would record the day’s events in a ledger-type book. This book was the official police blotter. Telephone calls, reports filed, and people booked into jail were recorded on the blotter.

If the caller is reporting a sexual assault crime against children, then the address is withheld, and if the victim is the caller, their name is withheld from the blotter.

Today, the police blotter is computerized but still available to the public. Without these sports, staff cannot discover the trends in criminal activity. Officers still use the police blotter to find clues, plan, and discover suspects.

Police Blotter Information Report – Sample Name of Individual Arrested: _________________________________________________________________________________________ Age of Individual Arrested: _____________________________ Sex of Individual Arrested: ______________________________ Date of Incident: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Time of Incident: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Location of Incident: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of Arresting Officer: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Summary of Incident: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Charge(s) Against Arrested Individual: ______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Additional Information:
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Inmate Search

There are several ways you can find an Inmate in an Indiana Jail. You can call the police station where the individual was arrested and may be incarcerated or search through Indiana Public Police Records for $1.00.
Inmate records include documents, audio and video records, and other records that comprise an inmate’s history. Records begin at the time of arrest and progress through the court system. Dozens of court records include charges, sentencing, and incarceration. Many records also include mugshots and fingerprints. You may also find DNA information and other specifics about the inmate. The Indiana Department of Correction is the agency in charge of inmate records, but you can find inmates fairly easily with a search tool provided on their website.

  • Name
  • DOC Number
  • Date of Birth
  • Race
  • Sex
  • Facility/Location
  • SMITH, DAVID A
  • 108563
  • 07/1983
  • White
  • M
  • Returned to court authority on release

To find full information, click on the DOC number. The information that populates is:

David D. Smith
DOC Number 12333333345
First Name David
Middle Name D
Last Name Smith
Date of Birth 06/1980
Gender Male
Race White
Location New Castle Correctional Facility
Earliest Possible release Date 11/02/2034
Sentence Information
Date of Sentence
Description Theft with a weapon
Term in Years/Months/Days
Type of Conviction FD
Indiana Citation Code 12-34-56
Case Number 000987
County of Conviction Marion
Projected release date 12/27/2025
More information on additional arrests and convictions is located in the same report.

Inmate Roster

You can request an inmate roster of any facility by writing to:
Indiana Department of Correction
302 West Washington Street
IGCS, Room E334
Indianapolis, IN 46204

You can also find an inmate roster by clicking on the roster tab on each police department’s website. For example, the inmate roster in Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Jail (address: 50 North Alabama St. Indianapolis, IN 86204 phone 317-327-3811 in Monroe county). If they do not have a roster link, you can call them and ask for a roster of inmates in their jails. There will be a charge, and you must have a reason to need the roster.

You can also contact the Indiana State
Police at:

Indian State Police
Criminal History, Limited Check
PO Box 6188
Indianapolis, IN 46206 emails: isp@isp.in.gov

An inmate roster will contain the following information:

  • Photo/Mugshot
  • Housing Location: the exact location or cell block where the inmate is housed
  • Bail/Bond Information:
  • How much bail is and the bond agency
  • Scheduled Court Date
  • Visitor Information
  • Inmate Behavior and Conduct Code
  • Arrests

Recent arrests can be found on local law enforcement websites under sections that list “Recent Arrests” or on the police blotter. Local news agencies might also have newsworthy arrests. In an arrest search, you will find the individual’s name, date of arrest, reason for arrest, and possibly a booking photo or mugshot. The exact details vary based on police departments’ and privacy laws. In most jurisdictions, arrest records are public information. There may be exceptions or restrictions for juveniles or cases that are sealed.

Mugshots

The Indiana inmate locator shows who’s in custody in a state prison or jail, including their DOC number, name, gender, race, custody status, and sentence Information. However, the lookup does not bring up Indiana inmate mugshots even though they have been taken and filed. You may need to call the individual jail or police station to receive a mugshot.
Most Wanted

“All fugitives should be considered dangerous. Do not approach or attempt to apprehend. If you have information concerning these fugitives, call 317-234-9752 or 317-767-4416.” The most wanted in Indiana can be found on the in.gov/most wanted website. On this website, Indiana Department of Correction Fugitives are listed..
Indiana Police departments maintain a list of individuals with outstanding warrants or those involved in serious crimes with other state and federal agencies.

The information listed is:

  • Mugshots
  • Jane Humas
  • Doc#: 1234
  • DOB: 04/08/1986
  • LKA: Elkhart, IN
  • Offense: Burglary
  • Delinquent 09/23/2020

Bookings

When a suspect is arrested by the Indianapolis Police Department or any other police department, they are taken to the City Jail or another designated detention facility. The booking process involves the following steps:

Personal Information: the basic details such as name, date of birth, and physical descriptors
Mugshot: a photograph usually front and side view.

Property Inventory: personal belongings aren’t allowed in jail. These items ae itemized and stored.
Fingerprints: Digital prints are taken and checked against databases of other warrants or previous records.
Medical Evaluation: Some facilities conduct a basic health screening.
Assigning a cell or holding area: the arrestee is placed in a designated area to wait for bail, further legal action, or transfer.

Releases

Notification of release varies in different police jurisdictions. Some police departments have victim notification services informing victims of inmates’ release. In some cases, the inmate must notify you upon their release.
Generally, on an inmate’s release date, they are processed out, have personal belongings returned, and are released through the facility’s designated release area.
Inmates scheduled for a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday release are released on Mondays. Inmates scheduled for release on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday are released on Thursday. If the release date falls on a holiday, inmates are released on the first working day before the holiday.