Cambria County Arrest Records

An individual may be arrested in Cambria County after an arrest or bench warrant has been issued by a magistrate authorizing a law enforcement officer to arrest them. A police officer may also arrest a suspect/offender without a warrant where the crime was committed in their presence or when they have probable cause to believe that the arrestee has committed an act violating the criminal law and is likely to abscond if not immediately taken into custody.

The arresting agency is responsible for booking the suspect. This process involves recording the name, age, mugshot, fingerprint, other physical description information (height, weight, race, sex), charges, date, time, and location of the arrest, arrest/incident report, and the name of the arresting officer(s).

Cambria County arrest records contain significant information about a person who has been arrested in the county. In cases where the defendant is officially charged, once pre-trial procedures begin, the county clerk will create a court record to document the legal proceedings, just like the law enforcement agencies do after the arrest. Cambria County court records, arrest records, and criminal history records are all connected as they all contain details about the defendant's arrest and prosecution.

Are Arrest Records Public in Cambria County?

According to Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law (RTKL), all records of government agencies, including local agencies created, filed pursuant to law, and in connection with the business or activity of the agency shall be open for inspection and copying. All members of the public can request and access copies of law enforcement records and arrest and incident reports prepared and maintained by local law enforcement authorities in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, regardless of form (paper, audio or video recording, email, transcripts, et cetera).

Although the Right-to-Know Law was implemented to promote transparency and accountability and guarantee the constitutional right to freedom of information, this right of access is limited in Section 708 of the RTKL. The law specifically exempts certain information from public disclosure, often due to federal or state laws or regulations. Record custodians may deny requests to view confidential/sealed records or redact such information from a public record.

• Records exempt by court order
• Expunged records
• Records exempt by federal or state law or regulation
• Records that may jeopardize public safety and personal security
• Identify a confidential informant
• Information on the victim that may jeopardize their safety
• Records that may interfere with the investigation, arrest, prosecution, or conviction of a defendant
• Personal identification information such as driver's license number, social security number, personal financial information, phone numbers and home/email address
• Juvenile records

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Per the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, the following information contained in Cambria County arrest records is public:

• The identity of the defendant: Names, aliases, date of birth, and age.
• Mugshot
• Physical description: sex, race, height, weight, tattoos, hair or eye color
• Name of the arresting agency and officer(s)
• The date, time, and location of the arrest
• The charges
• Previous arrests
• The bail amount
• The sentence or disposition of the case

Cambria County Crime Rate

The Cambria County crime rate for 2023 was collated from various law enforcement agencies and published under the Pennsylvania UCR Program. The total offense count recorded by law enforcement authorities in 2023 is 2,413, with a clearance rate of 37.51 percent. The breakdown of the statistics for offense counts is as follows:

• Larceny - 1,290 counts
• Simple Assault - 645 counts
• Burglary - 216 counts
• Aggravated Assault - 130 counts
• Motor vehicle theft - 59 counts
• Rape - 33 counts
• Robbery - 21 counts
• Arson - 10 counts
• Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter - 9 counts

From the above, it is evident that there are high rates of crimes against property and persons in this county. In 2023 alone, motor vehicles worth up to $614,453 were stolen locally.

Cambria County Arrest Statistics

Based on the Crime in Pennsylvania “crime dashboard,” 1,065 arrests were executed in Cambria County in 2023; compared to the previous year, the arrest rate increased by 12.94 percent. The majority of the arrests were for the offense of larceny (458), simple assault (444), aggravated assault (88), and burglary/breaking and entering (51).

Find Cambria County Arrest Records

Arrest records and police incident reports are usually created and filed by the Cambria County Sheriff’s Office in tandem with other municipal police departments like the Ashville, Cresson, and East Conemaugh Police Department, amongst others.

The DOC Inmate and Parolee Locator contains records on every inmate and parolee under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) and is updated daily. Information on those arrested and incarcerated within the DOC, as well as those under parole supervision, may be retrieved.

Researchers can search inmate records by their names, inmate/parole number, gender, county of arrest, current location (place of incarceration), release date (for parolees), citizenship, and date of birth.

Furthermore, interested persons may also find information on federal prison and inmate information from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Prisons. Likewise, researchers can find federal inmates on this searchable database by any of their names, race, sex, age, or registered number (FBI, DCDC, INS, or BOP registered number).

Free Arrest Record Search in Cambria County

In line with the Right-to-Know Law, the law mandates that state and local agencies make their records available to the public. Interested persons can submit a request to view arrest records to the Cambria County Office of Open Records by email, mail, fax, or in person. Researchers can only view the records for free if they request an in-person inspection. Requests for electronic or paper copies of arrest records are not free.

Cambria County Office of Open Records
200 South Center Street
Ebensburg, PA 15931
Phone: (814) 472-1607
Fax: (814) 472-6940
mkestermont@co.cambria.pa.us

Individuals may also contact or visit the arresting agency, which may be the Cambria County Sheriff’s Office or other local police departments, to view arrest records and incident reports.

Cambria County Sheriff’s Office
200 South Center Street
Ebensburg, PA 15931
Phone-Clerk Main: (814) 472-1691
Phone-Deputy Main: (814) 472-2440
Fax-Clerk: (814) 472-1493
Fax-Deputy: (814) 472-8261

Get Cambria County Criminal Records

A criminal record is a comprehensive history of a person's criminal convictions and interactions with the criminal justice system. It includes all arrests, charges, prosecutions, convictions, trials, court orders, dismissed or pending charges, and sentences. Cambria County criminal records provide detailed information about specific crimes, severity, dates, jail time served, probation, parole eligibility, fines, and outstanding warrants.

The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) Unit is the central repository for criminal history records in the state. The PATCH unit was created to ensure public access to criminal records. However, Individuals who wish to access and review criminal information must be the subject of the record or their legal representative (with affidavit). To obtain Cambria County criminal records, mail the form SP4-170, "Request For Individual Access and Review,” to the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository. The form must be submitted with proper proof of identification (state or government-issued ID) and the requisite $20 fee.

Cambria County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Although arrest records and criminal history records are both law enforcement records, one is not to be confirmed for the other as mean and signify different things.

An arrest record is a record of each charge a person has been arrested for. Unlike a criminal record, an arrest is not an indication of guilt. A person may be arrested, interrogated, and released without charge. They may as well be charged, found not guilty, acquitted and discharged or have the case dismissed.

Criminal history records on the other hand are records of arrest, conviction, and prosecution. When a person has been convicted of a crime, the record of their arrest and prosecution goes on their permanent criminal history record.

How Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. No law in Pennsylvania makes any provision for a period of validity for arrest records. Once a person is arrested and booked the details of the arrest and charges remain on their public record and may be accessible to potential employers, educational institutions, immigration authorities, and any other member of the public unless expunged or sealed.

Expunge Cambria County Arrest Records

An arrest record may be expunged if, after arrest was made, the arrestee was released, and the case was dismissed, or the charges were dropped, there was no disposition of such a case, or the person was found not guilty at trial (18 Pa. C.S. § 9122)

An individual who meets the conditions for expungement may file a petition with the clerk of the courts of the judicial district in which the charges were dismissed. The petition must include (234 Pa. Code r. 790)

• The petitioner's name, previous names or aliases, address, date of birth, and social security number;
• the name and address of the judge of the court of common pleas who accepted the guilty plea or heard the case;
• the name and mailing address of the affiant as shown on the complaint, if available
• the Court docket number or the court of common pleas docket number
• the offense tracking number (OTN)
• the date of the arrest, and, if available, the name of the arresting agency
• the exact charges, as they are stated on the charging document, to be expunged;
• the disposition, sentence, and fines paid
• the reason(s) for expungement; and
• an attestation by the petitioner that facts claimed in the petition are true and correct to the best of the petitioners personal knowledge or information and belief

Also, for persons arrested in Cambria County, they or their legal representatives may follow these steps to file a petition to expunge an arrest or criminal record.

• Print and complete the SP 4-170 “Request for Access and Review” Form
• Mail the form to Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository
• The mail should include a certified check or money order for $20 payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a government-issued photo ID (copy), a legal affidavit, or a letter of representation (for legal representatives).

Pennsylvania State Police
Central Repository – RCPU
1800 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758

Upon filing a petition, the court shall conduct a hearing to determine whether the records qualify for expungement. Following the hearing, or if no objection has been filed or the hearing has been waived, the court shall order that the person's arrest information be automatically deleted unless the court determines the expungement relates to another criminal trial or arrest relating to the same charges.

Once the order is granted, the court shall issue a notice to all record custodians, law enforcement agencies, the Pennsylvania Department of Correction, and Courts to delete the record from all public access terminals as it is now subject to an order of non-disclosure.

Cambria County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a writ issued by a magistrate or a court clerk in the name of the court and under the directive of the magistrate instructing a law enforcement officer to arrest the defendant named in the warrant.

No arrest warrant may be issued unless probable cause supposed by an affidavit is sworn before the issuing judge. The judge has to review and consider the evidence and documents presented before him to determine whether probable cause exists (Pennsylvania Code, Rule 513).

A Cambria County arrest warrant will be issued when a citation or summons is returned undelivered or the issuing authority (usually a magisterial district judge of the Cambria County Court) has probable cause to believe that the defendant has committed an offense or will not obey summons (Pennsylvania Code, Rule 430). An arrest warrant issued in Pennsylvania may be executed at any place within the state.

Cambria County Arrest Warrant Search

Individuals may find information on outstanding Cambria County arrest warrants by visiting the police department, sheriff’s office, or law enforcement office in their municipality. They may also contact the Cambria County Office of Open Records or the clerk of the issuing court, the court in the county where the person was arrested, or the court presiding over a criminal case regarding the warrant.

Do Cambria County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Cambria County arrest warrants do not expire. A person may be arrested anywhere and at any time after a warrant for their arrest is issued in Pennsylvania. However, law enforcement officers have to execute the warrant within a reasonable time to prevent undue delay.

After a person has been arrested, the warrant is said to have been “executed” and not expired. Individuals who wish to contest an arrest warrant or turn themselves into law enforcement custody are advised to consult with an attorney who can advise them on the best course of action or negotiate a plea deal with the prosecutor.