Search Mesa Recent Bookings

Recent bookings from Mesa are processed through the Maricopa County jail system, not a city facility. When Mesa Police make an arrest, they transport the person to Maricopa County Sheriff's Office detention centers for booking. This means you need to search county records to find Mesa arrest information. The MCSO inmate search shows current jail bookings from Mesa and all other Maricopa County cities. Mesa Police keep their own arrest and incident records separate from county jail data. You can request those documents through the Mesa Police Criminal Justice Information Division. Understanding which agency has which records will help you find what you need faster.

Mesa Bookings Go to Maricopa County Jail

Mesa does not run its own jail. All Mesa Police arrests result in booking at a Maricopa County Sheriff facility. This is standard practice across the Phoenix metro area. City police handle patrol and arrests. The county sheriff handles jail operations. So when you want to look up someone arrested in Mesa, you search the Maricopa County jail database, not a Mesa city system.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office operates five detention facilities that handle bookings from Mesa and dozens of other cities. New arrestees go to the Intake, Transfer and Release center at 2670 S 28th Drive in Phoenix. From there, they get classified and moved to the right facility based on their charges and security level. The 4th Avenue Jail, Estrella Jail, Lower Buckeye Jail, and Towers Jail all house inmates from Mesa arrests.

You can search for Mesa bookings through the MCSO online inmate lookup at any time. It is free. The search works by name or booking number. Results show current custody status, charges, bond amount, and which facility holds the person. This database updates throughout the day as new bookings come in and releases happen.

Note: Call the MCSO jail info line at (602) 876-0322 if the website is down or you need immediate confirmation of custody status.

Mesa Police Records and Reports

While jail booking data sits with the county, Mesa Police keep their own records of arrests and incidents. The Criminal Justice Information Division handles public records requests for Mesa PD. They can provide copies of police reports, arrest records, and other documents from Mesa cases. This is separate from what you find in the county jail search.

Mesa Police offer an online portal for records requests. You can submit requests through mesaazpd.govqa.us without going in person. This system lets you describe what records you need and track your request status. Most requests get processed within a few business days for standard reports. Complex requests or those involving video may take longer.

The Mesa Police Criminal Justice Information Division is at 59 S. Hibbert in Mesa, AZ 85210. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. The office is closed on Fridays. You can call them at 480-644-2310 with questions about records availability or request status. Walk in requests are accepted during business hours if you prefer not to use the online system.

Mesa Police Records Fees

Mesa Police charge fees for copies of records. The cost depends on what type of document you need. Here is what they charge:

• Police Report: $5 for first 50 pages, then $0.20 each extra page
• Photo CD or DVD: $10 each
• Audio Medium: $10 each
• Video Medium: $25 each
• Police Video Recordings: $46 per video hour
• Mesa Adult Arrest Record Search (MAARS): $10

The MAARS search is useful if you need to check for a Mesa arrest history on a specific person. This local background check covers arrests made by Mesa Police. It costs $10 per search. For a full Arizona criminal history, you would need to go through the Arizona Department of Public Safety Central State Repository instead, since they track arrests from all agencies across the state.

For accident reports from Mesa, a separate system applies. Traffic crash reports are available through BuyCrash.com for $5 per report. This works if a DUI arrest or traffic offense led to the booking you are researching. Mesa uses this third party vendor for accident report distribution rather than handling those requests through their records division.

Arizona State Booking Records

Mesa arrest records feed into state databases as well as county systems. You can learn more about Arizona criminal records by visiting the Arizona DPS Criminal History Records page.

The state repository collects data from all Arizona law enforcement agencies including Mesa Police. Under A.R.S. 41-1750, booking agencies must report arrest information to DPS. This creates a statewide criminal history that goes beyond just local or county records. If you need a full background rather than just current jail status, the state database has more complete information.

Mesa Records and Arizona Public Records Law

Arizona law gives you the right to access public records including booking information. A.R.S. 39-121 states that public records must be open for inspection during office hours. You do not need to give a reason for your request. Both Mesa Police records and Maricopa County jail data fall under this law.

There are some limits. Victim information gets protected under A.R.S. 13-4434. Juvenile records have extra restrictions. Ongoing investigations may have parts redacted. But the basic facts of an adult arrest in Mesa, the booking charge, and custody status are public information that you can access.

Crime victims have special rights under Arizona law. If you are a victim of a Part I crime, A.R.S. 39-127 entitles you to one free copy of the police report, audio recordings, video recordings, and transcripts related to your case. You need to show you are the victim to claim this benefit. The fee schedule does not apply to victims requesting their own case records.

Note: The 2024 court case Houston v. Maricopa County has affected how some Arizona counties handle online booking data, though Maricopa County still runs its inmate search.

Contacting Mesa Inmates in County Jail

Once someone from Mesa is booked into Maricopa County jail, several options exist for staying in contact. The county contracts with third party vendors for phone calls, video visits, and money deposits. Knowing these systems helps if you need to reach someone arrested in Mesa.

Video visitation runs through GettingOut by ViaPath. You create an account, search for the inmate by name, and schedule a video visit. Remote visits from home have fees. On site kiosk visits at the jail may have different rules. The GettingOut platform also lets you send messages and add money to inmate accounts.

For phone calls, Maricopa County jails use GTL/ConnectNetwork services. Inmates can call out if they have funds in their account or you set up prepaid calling. TouchPay handles money deposits through kiosks at the jail facilities. All of these services let you search for inmates, which provides another way to confirm someone from Mesa is in custody at a specific Maricopa County facility.

Mesa Victim Notification

If you are a victim of a crime in Mesa and want to know when the offender is released, register with Arizona VINE. The VINE system sends alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. You can get calls, texts, or emails when someone is released, transferred, or escapes.

This free service tracks inmates in all Arizona jails and prisons. You register online, search for the offender, and sign up for notifications. This beats checking the jail roster manually every day. The system automatically contacts you when something changes. VINE works for Mesa bookings held in Maricopa County facilities and for state prison inmates after conviction.

Other Maricopa County Cities

Mesa sits in Maricopa County along with many other large Arizona cities. All of these cities send arrestees to the same county jail system. If you are not sure where an arrest happened, you may need to check with multiple city police departments for incident reports while using the single MCSO inmate search for booking data.

Phoenix is the largest city and state capital, directly west of Mesa. Tempe and Chandler share borders with Mesa. Gilbert is to the southeast. All four cities plus Mesa make up the East Valley portion of the Phoenix metro area. Scottsdale sits to the north. Glendale and Peoria are in the West Valley. Despite being in different parts of the metro area, all these cities use Maricopa County jail for bookings.

Maricopa County Booking Resources

For complete information on jail facilities, inmate search tools, and records request procedures, see our full Maricopa County recent bookings page. That page covers all five county jail facilities, contact numbers, fee schedules for booking reports, and details on video visitation systems. Since Mesa arrestees go to county facilities, the Maricopa County page has the jail specific information you need.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office handles over 100,000 bookings per year from all cities in the county. Their inmate search, public records office, and jail information line serve Mesa residents along with everyone else in the Phoenix metro area. Use county resources for jail matters and Mesa Police resources for police reports and local arrest records.