Hartford Police Arrest Process

LIEUTENANT JOSE L. LOPEZ, SR.COMMANDER/DETENTION DIVISION

A family member or close friend calls and says “I’ve been arrested by the Hartford Police and I am at Jennings Road”.  Except for an emergency call from a Hospital, this has to be one of the scariest calls that a parent or love one could get.  Never expecting such a call, most individuals are left in total confusion by such a call.  In most cases the caller themselves are agitated and fail to provide the necessary information.

When receiving such a call find out the following:

·   The Police Department that made the arrest. 

·   The name of the facility along with a street address is important.

·   Is there a bail and if so how much?

Obtain the telephone number of the Police Department that made the arrest and find out what the person was arrested for and how much the bond is.  Although the caller may have given you a bail amount, in many instances misunderstandings by the arrestees occur due to the shock of having been arrested.

Identify a Bails Bonds Person through a referral from other family members or from the telephone yellow pages.  Give them the information that you have obtained from the Police Department and they will advise you as to their fee and process. 

In some cases the arrested parties are given Written Promises to Appear and are released without bail.  In the event that the arrested party is between the ages of 16 and 18, their legal guardian will have to provide such proof before the arrested party is released.  Birth certificates with proper identification or court orders would serve as proof.

What happens in many cases is that the family member or friends arrive at the booking/detention facility to pick up the arrested party and become concern as they wait for the release.  In most instances the release is quick, but the time of release would depend on the amount of individuals who are being processed.

Due to special operations and stings on some occasions upwards of fifty individuals could be waiting to be processed.  All individuals arrested in Hartford undergo the same process at the detention facility at 50 Jennings Road.  When a person is arrested they undergo the following process:

·        Upon entry into the facility they are searched for weapons and contraband.  All property is taken such as monies, wallets, jewelry, belts and laces.  This is done to prevent an injury to the arrested party from others or themselves. All property is secured and returned to the arrestee upon their release.  Once sealed, property bags are not opened for any reason and as such keys or monies that were loaned to the arrestees by others can not be removed until their release.

·        The arrestee is then interviewed in order to update or create a criminal history and inform them of their charges and bail amount.

·        After the interview finger print impressions are taken.  This is done via a “Live Scan” system which is an inkless process that places the impressions into a computer system and prints the necessary cards.  The cards are signed by the arrestee.

·        A digital photograph is then taken of the arrestee.

·        The arrestee is then allowed to make a telephone call.  The calls are limited to three minutes.  They are not allowed to call victims or engage in violent or threatening conversations.

·        The arrestee is then placed in a large cell to await transport by the Judicial Marshall to 101 Lafayette Street where they remain until release on bail or arraigned.  While at 101 Lafayette Street the arrestee may have an opportunity to speak with a Bail Commissioner who may reduce the bond or authorize a “Written Promise To Appear”.

It should be noted that the Hartford Police Department has no control over the Judicial Marshall’s’ transport and if the arrested party has been transferred to the Lafayette facility his/her return could take over an hour.  All releases prior to arraignment must occur at the Jennings Road detention facility.

It is hoped that understanding the process during an arrest will minimize any frustration and uncertainty during the waiting period.  If there any questions you can call the detention division at (860) 527-7300 extension 5637.

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