If you want to get a Columbia County, WI arrest warrant search done, one way is to approach the sheriff’s department. Playing the complainants’ role in criminal matters, it is the sheriff’s office that goes before the judiciary with information about a criminal occurrence. This data is placed before the bench in the form of a petition and an affidavit.
The details in the writ are carefully combed through to ensure the police had valid reasons to believe that the act which transpired was of a criminal nature and that it was commissioned by the person being accused of it. This process is referred to as the establishment of probable cause, and it is judiciously followed for all active warrants from Columbia County.
However, bench warrants, which are also directives for arrests, do not involve this formality in their issue process. These orders are exclusively issued when a person has disobeyed a court directive, so the magistrate already has information on the indiscretions of the accused and does not need input from the police.
Detentions will be effected under Columbia County outstanding warrants as soon as possible after the issue of the order. The police and the judiciary keep arrest records about the execution of active warrants and even those events when the accused is taken into custody without arrest warrants. So, to get the warrant search done, you can get in touch with:
- Law enforcement agency: PO Box 132, 711 East Cook Street, Portage, Wisconsin 53901
- The county magistrate: 400 Dewitt St, Portage, WI 53901
- The clerk of court: PO Box 133, Portage, Wisconsin 53901
Can you access the Columbia County warrant list and arrest records over the phone? (Current in 2021)
- You can call Jail Bookings for information on recent arrests- (608) 742-6476.
- You can contact the Warrants Unit to obtain information on arrest warrants – (608) 742-4166.
- You can call the DA’s Office for victim’s assistance-(608) 742-9650.
- You can contact the Clerk of Court for judicial records and a case search- (608) 742-9642.
Crime statistics of Columbia County
In 2019, the Columbia Sheriff’s Office received 303 criminal complaints, compared to 407 in 2018. There were 253 property offenses and 50 violent crimes among them.
Property offenses included 216 larceny thefts, 26 burglaries, and 11 motor vehicle thefts. In the category of violent crimes, there were 31 aggravated assaults, 12 rapes, and 7 robberies.The violent crime rate of Columbia County, Wisconsin, swelled by an astounding 80% plus in the eight years from 2001 onwards. Fortunately, reported criminal activity surged by a mere 15% through this interval. Overall, each year, almost 1200 criminal matters were reported to the police.