Lakewood Booking Records
Lakewood is in Jefferson County and all arrests here get processed through the county jail system. When Lakewood police arrest someone, that person goes to the Jefferson County detention facility for booking. The county sheriff operates the jail and provides free online access to inmate records. You can search for recent bookings by name and see who is currently in custody. The search tool shows charges, bond amounts, booking dates, and court information. Lakewood has over 155,000 residents making it the fifth largest city in Colorado. The jail books many Lakewood arrests each week along with people from other parts of Jefferson County.
Jefferson County Jail System
Lakewood sits entirely in Jefferson County. All Lakewood arrests go through the county jail for booking and detention. Lakewood Police Department makes arrests within city limits but the sheriff's office handles custody. This is standard for Colorado cities. The city has police and the county runs the jail.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office operates the detention facility that serves Lakewood and other cities in the county. The sheriff provides an online inmate lookup tool that anyone can use for free. The database shows current inmates and people booked on any given day. You can search by name or select a date to see everyone booked that day.
Jefferson County updates its inmate database every 15 minutes. This means the online records stay current with what is happening at the jail. New Lakewood bookings appear shortly after processing. The system shows charges, bond information, and upcoming court dates for each inmate. Only people currently in custody appear in the search results. If someone was released from jail, their current information will not show up.
How to Search Jefferson County Inmates
Go to the Jefferson County inmate lookup portal to search for Lakewood arrests. The search page has a simple form where you enter a first name, last name, or both. The system returns all matches from the current jail population. You can also retrieve a list of everyone booked on a specific date without entering a name.
Search results include the person's name, booking date, and jail ID number. Click on a name to see full details. The detail view shows all charges with case numbers and statute citations. Bond type and amount appear for each charge. The page lists upcoming court dates if any have been scheduled. You also see the arresting agency which tells you if Lakewood Police made the arrest or if it was another department in Jefferson County.
The inmate lookup only displays people who are currently in custody. If you need information about someone who was released, you must contact the Records Unit. Former inmate records are not searchable online. The Records Unit can provide historical booking information if you submit a formal request. Inmates under 18 do not appear in the public search results due to privacy laws for juveniles.
For questions about an inmate, call the Inmate Information Hotline at 303-271-5444. Jail staff can tell you about custody status, bond, and how to deposit money on an inmate's account. The hotline operates during regular business hours. For accessibility assistance, call 303-271-8455.
Note: The system updates every 15 minutes but information is subject to change and should be verified with the jail for official purposes.
Lakewood Court Cases
People arrested in Lakewood go to court in Jefferson County. The county has courthouses in Golden and other locations. Criminal cases are heard in the Jefferson County courts. You can search court dockets through the Colorado Judicial Branch website. The docket search shows case information and upcoming court dates for anyone with charges in Jefferson County.
After a Lakewood arrest, the person sees a judge within 48 hours for a first appearance. This is when bond gets set and formal charges get read. The court docket will show when the next court date is scheduled. You search by name or case number to find this information. Court records are public so anyone can look them up online.
Jefferson County has a public defender office that represents people who cannot afford a lawyer. The court appoints a public defender at the first appearance if you qualify based on income. You can also hire a private attorney. The Colorado Bar Association offers a lawyer referral service if you need help finding a criminal defense attorney in Lakewood or Jefferson County.
Access to Booking Information
Colorado law requires jails to keep a daily log of all inmates per C.R.S. 17-26-118. The log must include name, booking date, date of birth, charges, and bond for each person in custody. This information is public and must be available at all reasonable times. Jefferson County provides online access to meet this legal requirement.
The Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act in C.R.S. 24-72-301 covers how agencies release arrest and booking records. Records of official actions like arrests must be made public. Jefferson County complies by posting inmate data online where anyone can search it for free. You do not need to file a formal records request to access basic booking information through the online portal.
If you want detailed arrest records or booking photos, you may need to submit a written request to the sheriff's office. Colorado law requires anyone requesting mug shots to sign a statement that they will not use the photos for profit. This comes from C.R.S. 24-72-305.5. The rule stops websites from charging people to remove their booking photos. Jefferson County provides the required pecuniary gain form when you request booking photographs.
Jefferson County tries to respond to records requests within the time required by the Colorado Open Records Act. Simple requests usually get processed in a few days. More complex requests may take longer depending on how many records are involved and whether any information needs to be redacted for privacy or legal reasons.
Lakewood Police Reports
Lakewood Police Department has its own records division for police reports and incident records. If you need a copy of a Lakewood police report, contact the police department directly. Police reports are different from jail booking records maintained by the county sheriff. The police report shows what happened during an arrest or incident. The booking record shows custody information and charges filed.
You can request police reports from Lakewood Police by visiting the department in person or calling their records division. Some agencies allow online requests through a records portal. Check the city website for current procedures on how to request Lakewood police records. There may be fees for copies depending on the type of record and how many pages are involved.
Other Resources for Lakewood Arrests
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation maintains statewide criminal history records. You can request a background check through CBI to see someone's full arrest history from anywhere in Colorado. Background checks cost $6 per search result. The CBI database includes fingerprint-based arrest records from all Colorado law enforcement agencies including Lakewood Police.
For inmates serving sentences in state prison, check the Colorado Department of Corrections website. CDOC operates state prisons which are separate from county jails. The CDOC website has an inmate locator for people in state custody. If someone is not in Jefferson County jail, they might be serving time in a state facility.
Jefferson County uses the VINE system for custody notifications. You can register with VINE to receive alerts when an inmate is released from jail. This free service sends notifications by phone, email, or text when an inmate's status changes. VINE is available to crime victims and other interested parties.
Bookings in Other Jefferson County Cities
Westminster sits partly in Jefferson County and partly in Adams County. Westminster arrests on the Jefferson County side go through the Jefferson County jail. Golden is the county seat of Jefferson County. Arvada is another large city in the county. All these cities use the same Jefferson County jail system for bookings. You can search the county inmate database to find arrests from any city in Jefferson County.
Denver is east of Lakewood and operates its own city and county jail. Denver arrests do not show up in Jefferson County records. Aurora is in Arapahoe County. Littleton is also in Arapahoe County. Each of these cities books arrests into their own county jail systems.