Sierra County Police Blotter

Sierra County has the smallest population in California with just over 3,000 residents. The county does not operate a full jail. Instead, it maintains a temporary housing facility with very limited capacity. Most arrests result in transport to Nevada County. The Sierra County Sheriff's Office serves all law enforcement needs for this rural mountain county. Deputies handle arrests throughout Sierra County. They book inmates at the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada County for longer holds. Local searches for police blotter information often require checking both Sierra County and Nevada County systems.

Sierra County Sheriff Office

The Sierra County Sheriff operates from Downieville. This small office covers all 962 square miles of Sierra County. Deputies patrol highways and back roads. They respond to calls across the entire county. When they make an arrest, they decide where to house the person. Short holds may stay at the local temporary facility. Longer holds go to Nevada County right away.

Sierra County shares resources with Nevada County for corrections. This is common in small California counties. The arrangement lets Sierra County avoid the cost of running a full jail. Nevada County gets paid for housing Sierra County inmates. Deputies transport arrested persons to the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada City. All booking and processing happens there for most Sierra County arrests.

You can search for arrest records in Sierra County by visiting the Sierra County Temporary Housing Facility page. The county posts limited information about local custody. For most arrests, check the Nevada County system at Nevada County Inmates in Custody database. Sierra County police blotter information appears in both locations depending on where the person is held.

How Arrests Work in Sierra County

A Sierra County arrest starts with a deputy stop or response to a call. The deputy investigates and decides whether to make an arrest. If they arrest someone, they take that person into custody. Most go directly to Nevada County for booking. The temporary holding facility in Sierra County only handles very short stays.

Nevada County books all Sierra County inmates who need more than a few hours of custody. Staff there collect fingerprints and take photos. They record personal information and charges. The booking log shows the arrest happened in Sierra County even though the person is held in Nevada County. Bail gets set based on the charges and county bail schedule.

To find someone arrested in Sierra County, start with a phone call. Call 530-289-3700 and ask if the person is in local custody. If not, staff can tell you if they went to Nevada County. You can also search the Nevada County online database. It lists all inmates held at the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility. Sierra County arrestees show up in that system with a notation about their originating county.

Note: Always check both Sierra County and Nevada County when searching for police blotter records from this area.

Getting Police Blotter Records

Sierra County follows the California Public Records Act like all other counties. You can request arrest records and booking logs from the Sheriff's Office. Call or visit in person. Give the name and date of the arrest. Staff will search their files.

Small counties like Sierra County may not have online request portals. They handle requests by phone or mail. Response time depends on how busy the office is. Simple requests often get answered the same day. More complex searches take longer. There may be a small fee for copies of reports or records in Sierra County.

For records of people booked into Nevada County, you need to contact that county's system. The Nevada County Sheriff handles all records for inmates in their custody. This includes people arrested by Sierra County deputies. You can call Nevada County at 530-265-1291 or search their online database for current inmates.

California law requires release of basic arrest information under Government Code Section 7923.600. This includes names, booking dates, charges, and bail amounts. Sierra County and Nevada County both follow these rules. You have the right to access police blotter information for arrests in Sierra County regardless of where the person is held.

Nearby California Counties

Sierra County borders several other small mountain counties. Each has its own sheriff and jail system. Check these counties if you need police blotter records from nearby areas in California.