The McHenry County Sheriff’s department can get an arrest warrant against a suspect by appealing to the local criminal court with a writ petition that furnishes crucial information relating to the case, including the nature of the felony; name, age, and gender of the suspect and evidence along with eyewitness testimonies.
This information is provided to the criminal court’s magistrate, who signs the arrest order only after every fact is duly analyzed. When issuing an arrest warrant, the magistrate’s responsibility is to ensure enough evidence for the state to file an accusatory instrument against the person.
A signed arrest order that authorizes the police officers from McHenry County, whose names are mentioned in the warrant and other law enforcement officials, to take an individual into custody is legally referred to as an active warrant.
An active warrant is deemed to be outstanding if an arrest is not made under its provisions for some time. However, just because an active warrant becomes an outstanding arrest warrant does not mean it is any less effective. The person in question still can and will be arrested even several years after the active warrant has been made outstanding.
The most accurate source of information on arrest records in McHenry is the local Sheriff’s Department. The record’s clerk in the office can be contacted in person or over the phone. The Sheriff’s office’s address is McHenry County Government Center, 2200 N. Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098. Alternatively, give them a call on 815-338-2144. You can also fill the form above for an online warrant search.
How do you get information on McHenry County arrests and warrants over the phone? (2021-Update)
- To find out about recent arrests, dial the phone number of the McHenry County Jail Main Office- 815-338-9396.
- To file a non-emergency complaint, contact the Sheriff’s Office at 815-338-2144.
- To get in touch with a detective who is handling your case (victims only), call 815-334-4750.
- To schedule jail visitation, call 815-334-4745.
- To report a person who has an outstanding warrant against him/her, call the Fugitive Apprehension Unit at 815-334-4704.
- To learn the procedure for a local criminal background check, call the Police Records Division at 815-334-4770
- To contact Victim/Witness Services, call the State Attorney’s Office at 815-334-4159.
Crime Statistics of McHenry County, IL
In McHenry County, roughly 320 criminal complaints were lodged in 2019. Approximately 260 of them were for property offenses, such as larceny-theft (179), burglary (63), and motor vehicle thefts (15). In the category of violent crimes, there were 44 cases of aggravated assault and 17 cases of rape among the 65 complaints filed through the year.
Given the violent crime range in Illinois, McHenry County, with over 1400 incidents of violent crime recorded each year, figures bang in the middle of the list. The overall rate of crime has gone down in the county between 1999 and 2010. Of the total number of crimes reported per 100,000, thefts were most familiar with over 1400 reports, while homicide-related cases were comparatively lower at just about 3 reported incidents.