Lake County Recent Arrests

Lake County recent arrests are managed through the Lake County Sheriff's Office, which operates one of Indiana's largest jail systems with a capacity of over 1,000 inmates at the facility at 2293 N. Main Street in Crown Point. As Indiana's third most populous county with over 500,000 residents bordering the Illinois state line and Lake Michigan, Lake County processes a high volume of arrests daily from the sheriff's department, Gary, Hammond, East Chicago, Crown Point, and numerous other local agencies.

Lake County Sheriff Inmate Search

The Lake County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. operates the main jail at 2293 N. Main Street, Crown Point, IN 46307-1854. The administration phone is 219-755-3400. For jail booking inquiries, call 219-648-6300. Jail Records and Pretrial Services can be reached at 219-755-3421. The non-emergency line is also 219-755-3400.

The Lake County Jail has a capacity of 1,085 inmates in the main facility. The Sheriff's Work Release Center handles an additional 100 male and female inmates who are serving sentences but allowed to work or attend programs in the community. The facility employs 170 merit correction officers and 25 Work Release Custody Officers, making it a significant institutional operation.

The inmate search portal is at lakecountysheriff.com. The sheriff's website notes an important scam warning: the inmate search feature is now name-search only. Scammers have been known to contact people pretending to be bondsmen or sheriff's office employees. The Lake County Sheriff's Office does NOT accept cryptocurrency for bond payment, and any request for crypto payment is a scam. The legitimate bond payment process goes through the jail directly in person or through a licensed bondsman.

Search results show the inmate's name, booking number, charges filed, bond amount, and mugshot photo. This information is a public record under IC 5-14-3-5, which requires disclosure of the arrested person's name, age, address, charges, arrest date and time, location, arresting officer, and investigating agency. Under IC 36-2-13-5, the sheriff also takes fingerprints, photos, and identifying data from all persons in custody.

The screenshot below shows the Lake County Sheriff's Office website, which hosts the inmate search tool and jail information for Lake County, Indiana.

The sheriff's website also posts Most Wanted information with mugshots, charges, and physical descriptions for individuals with active warrants in Lake County. This section is updated as suspects are apprehended or new warrants are issued.

Lake County Jail Mail, Visits, and GettingOut

The Lake County Jail has specific rules for mail and visitation that people need to know. Books must come from Amazon and must be softcover only. Newspapers and magazines must come directly from the publisher; hand-delivered or personal copies are not accepted. These restrictions are in place for security reasons and are strictly enforced.

Money can be deposited for inmates through the lobby kiosk in the jail, which accepts cash and credit cards and operates 24 hours a day. Money orders are also accepted. The Lake County Jail uses GettingOut for inmate phone calls and messaging. Family and friends can set up accounts at gettingout.com to communicate with incarcerated individuals and send funds.

Visitation requires a valid photo ID and the visitor must be on the inmate's approved visitor list. Visitors must check in at least 30 minutes before the visiting period ends. To schedule a visit, go to gettingout.com and follow the instructions for the Lake County facility. Walk-in visits without a scheduled appointment may not be permitted.

Lake County Court Records

Lake County court records are searchable through Indiana's statewide MyCase portal. The system covers Lake Circuit Court, Lake Superior Court, and related courts in Lake County. You can search for free by name or case number at public.courts.in.gov/mycase/.

The screenshot below shows the Indiana MyCase portal with Lake County court records, where criminal cases from Lake County arrests can be tracked from charge filing through final disposition.

Lake County has one of Indiana's busiest court systems. The Lake County Superior Court handles criminal, civil, small claims, and family court matters. Cases are assigned to courtrooms in Crown Point and Hammond. Once the Lake County Prosecutor files charges after an arrest, the case appears in MyCase and can be tracked through all hearings and the final resolution.

Indiana's public records law, specifically IC 5-14-3-3, establishes the right to inspect and copy public records. The courts' public records page at in.gov/courts/public-records/ covers what court records are accessible and how to get them. IC 5-14-3-4 lists what agencies may keep confidential, which includes some investigative records and personal identifiers even in public cases.

The screenshot below shows the Indiana public records information page, which explains your rights to access Lake County court and arrest records under Indiana law.

Physical court records and certified copies can be obtained from the Lake County Circuit Clerk's office in Crown Point. The clerk's office handles court files for all Lake County courts and can provide certified copies of judgments, orders, and other documents for a fee.

City Police Departments in Lake County

Lake County has multiple active city police departments, each of which makes its own arrests that are booked at the Lake County Jail.

Crown Point Police Department is at 124 N East St, Crown Point, IN 46307. Non-emergency: 219-663-2131. Crown Point is the county seat and the Crown Point PD handles arrests within city limits.

Gary Police Department is at 555 Polk St, Gary, IN 46402. Non-emergency: 219-881-3211. Gary is one of Indiana's larger cities and the Gary PD handles a significant number of arrests that flow into the Lake County Jail.

Hammond Police Department is at 509 Douglas St, Hammond, IN 46320. Non-emergency: 219-853-6490. Hammond sits on the Illinois border and is one of the county's most active police jurisdictions.

East Chicago Police Department is at 2301 E Columbus Dr, East Chicago, IN 46312. Non-emergency: 219-391-8300. East Chicago is a separate city with its own department that books arrestees into the county system.

Statewide Resources for Lake County Records

The Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History search at in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch2/index.html provides statewide criminal history including Lake County cases. The INjail portal at public.indianajail.gov/ aggregates data from participating jails and may show Lake County inmates alongside those in other counties. VINE victim notification at vinelink.com or 1-866-959-8463 covers Lake County Jail custody status changes.

Expungement of Lake County arrest records is governed by IC 35-38-8. Eligible records include arrests with no charges filed, dismissed cases, acquittals, and some misdemeanor convictions after a waiting period. Lake County residents can file a petition with Lake Circuit or Superior Court. For accident reports, BuyCrash at buycrash.com provides reports for $12 each for crashes in Lake County.

Qualifying Cities in Lake County

Lake County has four cities that meet the population threshold for their own arrest record pages on this site. Hammond is the county's largest city. Gary is the second largest and has its own dedicated page. East Chicago also has its own page. Crown Point, the county seat, has a city page as well. Each page covers city-specific police and arrest resources.

Nearby Counties

Lake County borders several Indiana counties to the east and south, with Illinois to the west and Lake Michigan to the north.

• Porter County
• Jasper County
• Newton County
• LaPorte County