Pekin Arrest Records Lookup
Pekin arrest records are managed by the Pekin Police Department and filed through the Tazewell County court system. These arrest records are public under Illinois law, and anyone can request them by filing a FOIA request or visiting the police department.
Pekin Quick Facts
Pekin Police Department
The Pekin Police Department is the primary source for arrest records in the city. The station is at 111 S Capitol St, Pekin, IL 61554. Call (309) 478-5300 for questions about arrest records or to check on a request. Pekin PD handles all arrests inside city limits.
Pekin is the county seat of Tazewell County, with a population of about 31,800. The city sits just south of Peoria along the Illinois River. The Pekin police department's records division stores arrest reports, incident files, and related documents. When a Pekin officer makes an arrest, that record stays at the station. If the Tazewell County State's Attorney files charges, the case goes to the county court.
You can walk in during business hours to ask for Pekin arrest records. Bring a photo ID if you need your own record. For another person's arrest record, put the request in writing. The records division can tell you what forms to use and what fees apply.
How to Search Pekin Arrest Records
Start with the Pekin Police Department. Call, visit, or send a written request to the records division. They keep files on all arrests by Pekin officers. Some basic arrest data may appear in press releases or media logs.
The City of Pekin website has general info about services and may have links to FOIA forms. For court records tied to Pekin arrests, check the 10th Judicial Circuit Court in Tazewell County. The circuit clerk manages court case lookups and keeps files on all criminal cases from the county. You can search by name or case number.
At the state level, the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification runs criminal history searches. The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/1) allows the public to get conviction data from the ISP database. Pekin arrest records that led to convictions will show up there. The ISP charges a fee for these lookups.
The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office maintains jail and booking records. If someone arrested in Pekin was held at the county jail, their booking data is in the sheriff's system.
Filing a FOIA Request for Pekin Arrest Records
Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1), you can request arrest records from the Pekin Police Department. Write your request and include the person's full name, the arrest date if you know it, and any report numbers. Clear details help the records team work faster.
Pekin PD has five business days to respond. They can take five more days for large requests. Per 5 ILCS 140/2.15, basic arrest data must be released within 72 hours of an arrest. That includes the name of the person arrested, the charges, and the arresting agency. This is required by law and Pekin PD cannot refuse. The first 50 pages of copies are usually free, with a per-page charge after that.
If the department denies your request, they have to explain why. Typical reasons are open investigations or sealed records. You can appeal to the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor if you think the denial was wrong.
What Pekin Arrest Records Show
A Pekin arrest record includes the full name, date of birth, and physical description of the arrested person. It shows the charges, the arresting officer, and the date, time, and location of the arrest in Pekin. If the person was booked into the Tazewell County Jail, there will be separate booking data with an intake number.
Court records add case numbers, hearing dates, plea entries, and final outcomes. The Tazewell County Circuit Clerk maintains these files. Under arrest authority rules in 725 ILCS 5/107-2, Pekin officers can arrest for offenses committed in their presence or when they have probable cause to believe a felony took place. Once the arrest happens, the record goes into both local police files and the county court system.
Sealed and expunged records are not part of public searches. Under Illinois law, certain arrests that did not lead to a conviction can be sealed or expunged. If a Pekin arrest record has been sealed, it will not come up in a standard search. Only law enforcement and certain agencies can access those files.
Pekin Arrest Records and Tazewell County
Criminal cases from Pekin go through the Tazewell County court system. The 10th Judicial Circuit covers Tazewell County and handles felony, misdemeanor, and traffic cases. Because Pekin is the county seat, the Tazewell County Courthouse is right in the city. The circuit clerk there tracks every case from the first hearing through the final ruling.
The Tazewell County State's Attorney reviews Pekin arrest cases and decides which ones to prosecute. If charges are filed, the case gets a court date. The Tazewell County Public Defender handles cases for people who cannot afford a lawyer. Legal aid groups in central Illinois, like Prairie State Legal Services, also help residents with arrest record questions, sealing, and expungement.
Because Pekin is the county seat, most of the county's legal offices are here. That makes it easy to handle arrest record matters in person. The state's attorney, public defender, circuit clerk, and sheriff's office are all within a short drive of each other in Pekin.
Nearby Cities
Cities near Pekin with arrest records pages: