Bella Vista Arrest Records
Bella Vista arrest records are kept by the Bella Vista Police Department. The city sits in northern Benton County, just south of the Missouri state line. The department was established in 2007 following Bella Vista's incorporation. Before that, Benton County Sheriff's Office ran a satellite office here for 26 years. Adults arrested in Bella Vista book into the Benton County jail. This page shows how to search for Bella Vista arrest records, what the JustFOIA portal offers, and how to request a copy of a specific report.
Bella Vista Arrest Records Overview
Bella Vista Police Arrest Records
The Bella Vista Police Department is located at the Bella Vista Public Safety Facility, 2483 Forest Hills Boulevard, Bella Vista, AR 72715. The non-emergency line is 479-855-3771. Emergencies go to 911. For media questions, contact Community Outreach Officer Shelly Frederick at sfrederick@bellavistaar.gov.
The image below is the Bella Vista Police Department home page, the main portal to divisions and records requests.
From here you can reach the Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Communications, and Operations divisions. Specialty teams include Bike Patrol, K9 Units, and SWAT.
The department's history is short but established. For 26 years before 2007, the Benton County Sheriff's Office ran a substation in Bella Vista. After the city incorporated, the Bella Vista Police Department took over. Today the department covers the full city with four divisions and several specialty teams.
Bella Vista Police Reports and JustFOIA
To request a Bella Vista arrest report or incident report, call 479-855-3771 or come to the Police Department. Reports take 7 to 10 business days to complete. Cost is $10. Payment can be made in person or over the phone with a credit card. Reports are then emailed during business hours.
Bella Vista uses JustFOIA records request software for public records. The online form has two submission options: a police department form for Bella Vista Police incidents or cases, and a general city form for other city departments including Fire. Requests are responded to as quickly as possible per state law.
A second image shows the JustFOIA records request page on the city site.
Use this portal to track a request and receive the response electronically.
Note: Live scan fingerprinting is by appointment only, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, $10 per person. Bring the TSN (tracking number) from the requesting agency.
Benton County Jail for Bella Vista Arrests
Adults arrested by Bella Vista PD are booked into the Benton County jail. The Benton County Sheriff's Office runs a real-time roster at sheriff.bentoncountyar.gov/inmate-roster. Search by name, arrest date, release date, or held-for-agency. The site also hosts a Jail Dashboard. Arrest records are posted within 24 to 48 hours of booking.
The Benton County jail is at 1300 SW 14th Street, Bentonville, AR 72712. The phone is 479-271-1008. For more on the county side, see our Benton County arrest records page. The Benton County Sheriff's Office also runs a crime map and a sex offender search.
Statewide Bella Vista Arrest Records Tools
Use the Arkansas Criminal History (ARCH) System at $24.00 per search for a statewide criminal history check. ARCH was created by Act 1185 of 2015 at Ark. Code Ann. § 12-12-1501 et seq. Results cover Arkansas felony and misdemeanor convictions, open felony arrests less than three years old, and sex offender status. ARCH ties to fingerprints through ACIC, which makes it more reliable than a plain name search.
Use Arkansas CourtConnect to follow a Bella Vista case through District or Circuit Court. The Administrative Office of the Courts runs the portal from 625 Marshall Street, Little Rock, 501-682-9400. It's free. Use the ADC Inmate Search for a Bella Vista subject in state prison. Use Arkansas VINE at 1-800-510-0415 for custody alerts.
The Arkansas Sex Offender Registry covers Bella Vista under Ark. Code Ann. § 12-12-903. The public map shows level 3 and level 4 offenders. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 12-12-1013, anyone can challenge their own ACIC record for free through fingerprint comparison at 501-682-2222.
FOIA Rules for Bella Vista Arrest Records
Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101 et seq., the Arkansas FOIA, arrest records at Bella Vista PD are public. Agencies have three business days to respond for a basic request. JustFOIA submissions may take longer depending on the scope. Fees cannot exceed actual reproduction cost. Include the subject's name, the approximate arrest date, and your contact info.
Some records are exempt. Active investigation files, undercover officer identities, personnel records, medical records, and juvenile records under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309 are withheld. Sealed records under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-90-1401 do not appear in FOIA responses. The Arkansas Attorney General at arkansasag.gov posts the FOIA Handbook and opinions on sealed records.
What Bella Vista Arrest Records Contain
A Bella Vista arrest record typically shows the arrest date and time, the subject's name, the arresting officer, the charges, and the classification (misdemeanor or felony). The booking sheet produced at the Benton County jail adds mugshot, booking number, bond amount, and physical description.
Bella Vista PD enters arrest data into the Arkansas Crime Information Center, which feeds ARCH. That means a Bella Vista arrest can show up on a later statewide check. Fingerprint data goes with the booking at the jail.
Ark. Code Ann. § 12-12-1001 et seq. establishes ACIC as the central repository for criminal history. The statute defines what counts as criminal history data and requires fingerprinting at arrest for specific offenses. Criminal justice agencies must report final disposition, which is why ARCH results can reflect the outcome of a Bella Vista case beyond the initial booking.
Bella Vista District Court and CourtConnect
Bella Vista has its own District Court for misdemeanor and traffic cases. Felony cases from Bella Vista move to Benton County Circuit Court in Bentonville. Both are searchable on CourtConnect at no cost. The portal shows docket activity, hearing dates, and case disposition.
For paper files, go to the Bella Vista District Court office for misdemeanors or to the Benton County Circuit Clerk in Bentonville for felonies. Court records are public under FOIA. Some files, like those involving minors, have restricted access under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309.
For Bella Vista residents hoping to seal a closed case, the Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013 at Ark. Code Ann. § 16-90-1401 et seq. lays out what can be sealed and when. File a petition in the court that handled the case. Many misdemeanors and some felonies are eligible. Sex offenses that require registration are not. Once sealed, the record drops off ARCH and CourtConnect.
Nearby Cities
Bella Vista is one of several large cities in northern Benton County. These neighbors sit close enough for cross-jurisdiction cases.