When a crime is committed in Yakima County, WA, a detailed investigative and legal procedure is followed to bring the suspect to books. At first, the offense is investigated; this includes collecting witness testimony and all material associated with the crime, including any weapons that may have been used.
The police then seek out the assistance of the judiciary to get an arrest order. A written petition is presented in the local criminal court, which helps the sitting magistrate verify that there is enough proof to file a criminal matter against the person in question.
Once this is ascertained, the judge signs the arrest order that serves as a judicial command to the local law enforcement agency, and it gives certain rights to peace officers, which include:
- The authority to arrest the person in whose name the warrant has been granted at any time and from any place (in some cases also from areas that are not within the issuing county)
- To use any form of force needed to bring about this detention, including physical restraint and the right to enter third party premises.
After its issuance, an active arrest warrant stays in effect till an arrest is made. However, if this is made impossible due to unavoidable circumstances, the order is held back in the national crime database and is then termed an outstanding arrest warrant.
The sheriff’s Yakima County department, Washington, will offer accurate information on all outstanding and active arrest warrants issued by the local criminal court. They can be contacted by visiting their office at 1822 S 1st Street, Yakima, Washington 98903.
You can also use the form given above for an online warrant search using a third party database of national arrest records.
Is it possible to get information on County arrests and warrants over the phone? (2021-Update)
- Queries about recent arrests: 509-397-5585.
- General information from the Sheriff’s Office: 509-397-6266.
- Criminal case-related information:
- Information about help provided to crime victims: 1-877-334-2887 or 509-332-4357.
- Criminal case records and case search: Superior Court- 509-574-2710 and District Court- 509-574-1804.
Crime Statistics of Yakima County, Washington
The Yakima County Sheriff’s Department received 1620 criminal reports in 2019. Over 1460 of these complaints were for property offences, while over 150 were for violent crimes.
There were about 380 burglaries and around 760 larceny thefts in the property crimes category along with 320 plus instances of motor vehicle theft. In the category of violent crimes, there were 97 reports of aggravated assault and 31 reports of rape along with 17 complaints against robbery.
From the year 1999 to 2008, the crime scenario in Yakima County has steadily deteriorated. By the end of the decade, the rate of both property and violent crime had increased by over 50%. In terms of numbers, this equated to an annual crime rate of over 12,000 cases and a decade long crime figure of well over 120,000 incidents.
Of these, nearly 90,000 were theft and robbery related occurrences, while rape and homicide logged in an average of almost 1000 and 100 cases, respectively. On a day to day basis, nearly 30 criminal reports are filed in the area, and in most incidents, the crime occurs when the victim is within a one-mile radius of his home or workplace.