The magistrate’s court of Ottawa County, OH, is the judicial body that issues active arrest warrants in the area. However, it does not do so of its own accord; the local sheriff’s office or the DA has to approach the tribunal to request the release of a warrant against a person because there is enough evidence in a particular case to implicate him/her.
The judge carefully studies the affidavit submitted before a warrant is issued. Once released, all arrest warrants stay in effect till they are executed. The police are responsible for serving the warrant and processing the accused. While both the sheriff’s department and the judiciary offer information about outstanding warrants and arrest records, there is no provision to access this data online. So, be ready to visit these agencies in person for a warrant search.
The magistrate’s court is located in the same courthouse as the county clerk’s office at 315 Madison St, Port Clinton, OH 43452.
The sheriff’s department also works out of the same location at 315 Madison St. All these agencies have the same working hours; they accept inquiries for warrant-related information, Monday through Friday during business hours. So, you can get to all three agencies on the same day.
While you can get the same information about warrants and arrest records through the judiciary and the police, each agency has its own jurisdiction and can add to the amount of data offered. For instance, the sheriff’s office will be able to deliver in-depth crime history information. In contrast, the county clerk’s office will provide civil records and criminal details. So, you can start with one agency or visit all of them for more extensive records.
If you need information on Ottawa County recent arrests and warrants, whom should you call? (In 2021)
- To report a non-emergency, call the dispatch phone line at (419) 734-4404.
- To access information about warrants, contact the Sheriff’s Office at (419) 734-6824.
- To get information about recent arrests, call (419) 734-6848/ (419) 734-6828.
- To speak with a detective assigned to your case (only for victims), contact the Investigations Division at (419) 734-6827.
- To get information about the process for conducting a local criminal background check, contact the Records Division at (419) 734-6823.
- To reach Victim/Witness Services, please contact the Victim’s Advocate at (419) 734-6845.
- To get a certified statement of criminal court records, contact the Court Clerk’s Office at (419) 734-6755.
Crime statistics of Ottawa County
In 2017 Ottawa County law enforcement offices reported an annual crime average of over 480 incidents. The listed offenses included 30 violent crimes and 452 property crimes.
Rape had the most significant number of complaints in the violent crime category, at 17 cases, followed by aggravated assault, which brought in 9 complaints. With 341 reports, larceny-theft was the most common property crime. Burglary came in second, accounting for more than 85 cases.
While the annual rate of crime in Ottawa County, Ohio, stands at almost 400 incidents, less than 2% of these are violent crime instances. A close look at the incident rate from 2001 to 2008 reveals a sharp increase in the rate of crime in 2007 and 2008. In fact, the number of criminal incidents increased by almost 60% over these two years.