You’ve probably gone on a gossip entertainment website and seen mugshots from big-name celebs, or maybe you’ve seen those pictures from a booking pop up on the local evening news. A mugshot is a photo taken at the time of one’s arrest, placing them into the system and identifying them based on an ID number and that picture to help in the identification process. However, there are ways to find those mugshots online just by searching for yourself.
Online Mugshot Searches
The easiest way to track down a picture that’s connected to an arrest record and is a matter of public record is a free mugshot lookup service. These search engines are designed to allow users to trace through public information for a better understanding of an incident that may have occurred in their hometown. During the booking process, a law enforcement agency may take a booking photo shortly after a person is arrested. These photos are meant to be accessible to the public, but sometimes they’re hard to track down online.
There are other elements that can delay finding a mugshot, such as a slow booking process, the expungement process, or another court of law procedure. Searches through websites like GoLookup comb through an ever-growing database to obtain an individual mugshot, criminal record report, and arrest record report. These services tap into hundreds of millions of public records and allow their users to perform unlimited searches for criminal records, arrest records, public records, background checks, court records, and more.
The Details of a Criminal Report
While elements of a police report may be withheld from public record, a mugshot is designed to give some details of a criminal record. Websites look through arrest records to provide as much insight as possible regarding an arrest, particularly serious crimes that are labeled as felonies by the courts or the district attorney. Mugshots and criminal records can be extremely sensitive, especially if you don’t have experience dealing with a sheriff’s office or any local or state law enforcement agency. The sex offender registry can be complicated, with some sites unable to upload recent arrests expeditiously.
Searching for a booking photo can reveal a great deal of offender information. These records can give you details on current charges, as well as arrest history if the offender has priors on their record. Even just obtaining the photo, you’ll have access to contact information for the arresting law enforcement agency or the courthouse that will be handling these criminal records. With an online service like GoLookUp, you can obtain free details without the need to scrounge around for the right inmate search record or arrest search service.
The Purpose of Finding a Mugshot
A search engine can help you find mugshots of people as part of a criminal record search, identifying valuable information about a person’s past offenses. Searching for police mugshots is essential, especially to distinguish between people. After all, people share the same name, and the last thing you want to do is put blame for a misdemeanor or felony offense on a person who was never near the area where the incident occurred. Mugshots can help you distinguish between people and discover if you have tracked down the right person with a criminal record.
In finding these criminal records, you can be sure if the people you are searching for were involved in the arrest you’re trying to get information on. Arrestees are photographed by local law enforcement, and the photo becomes part of a rap sheet. When searching for booking photos, you can see if the person in question was arrested or may be associated with similar criminal activity. This can also give you insight into the nature of crimes that an arrested person has committed, determining how detrimental they are to public safety.