* Police departments. Most police departments have a public information officer who is responsible for releasing information to the media. This information includes arrest records. Newspapers can contact the public information officer to request arrest records.
* Courthouses. Arrest records are also available at courthouses. Newspapers can send reporters to courthouses to look up arrest records.
* Online databases. Some police departments and courthouses have online databases that contain arrest records. Newspapers can search these databases to find arrest records.
* Subscriptions. Some newspapers subscribe to services that provide arrest records. These services collect arrest records from a variety of sources and make them available to subscribers.
Newspapers use arrest records to inform the public about crime in their communities. Arrest records can also be used to investigate crimes and track down suspects.