Arrest History in Benzie County
The Benzie County Sheriff's Office is the primary county patrol agency and operates the jail. Frankfort Police Department handles law enforcement within Frankfort. Other arrests can come from Michigan State Police, National Park Service officers at Sleeping Bear Dunes, Grand Traverse Band Tribal Police, or Michigan DNR conservation officers. The agency that makes an arrest remains the custodian of its incident narrative even when the person is booked into the Benzie County Jail.
An arrest can create several distinct records. The police report states the claimed facts and cited offenses. The jail creates intake, booking, custody, bond, property, and release entries. A prosecutor may later file a case with different charges, and a reportable fingerprint event may reach the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center. These Benzie County arrest records can differ because they capture different decisions at different times.
No Benzie County Booking Roster
No official public online inmate roster or complete daily booking log was found on the Benzie County site. Unofficial roster and mugshot pages are not reliable substitutes. For a recent Benzie County arrest, call the jail at 231-882-4484, check MI-VINE for custody information, search the court docket after filing, or submit a focused public-record request.
The Benzie County Sheriff's Office page shown below identifies the agency that runs the jail and holds its own arrest and booking source records.
A selected sheriff news item can describe one event, but it is not a complete Benzie County arrest log. Current custody still requires direct verification.
How to Look Up Benzie County Arrests
Start with the question, date, place, and likely arresting agency. A custody check and a historical report request are not the same task. Use the jail for present custody, the arresting agency for its report, the court for filed charges, and the state repository for its limited statewide product.
- Call the Benzie County Jail at 231-882-4484 for current custody and jail procedures. An in-person inquiry may also be available as staff permits.
- Use MI-VINE or call 1-800-770-7657 for custody status and confidential notification services.
- Search MiCOURT for a filed 85th District case. If a felony is later bound over, follow the Benzie C19~1 Circuit docket.
- Request the report from the agency that made the arrest. Use the BCSO form only when the Sheriff's Office holds the source record.
- Use MSP ICHAT for reportable Michigan history, not for live custody or warrants. It costs $10 per name search and has significant exclusions.
- When online sources do not answer the question, call or send a narrow FOIA request with the name, birth date, event date, location, and report number if known.
Note: Allow time between a Benzie County booking and the first court entry because intake and charging decisions do not occur at once.
Request a Benzie County Arrest Record
The Sheriff's 2025 Request for Public Records is the main fallback for a BCSO arrest report, incident report, or releasable booking material that is not online. Check “Arrest Record” and add enough detail to locate the event. The form asks about the person involved, birth date, sex, event location and date, nature of the incident, and report number. It also asks for requester contact details and a delivery choice.
The Benzie County Sheriff FOIA page is the official source for the request channel shown here.
Mail or deliver the form to BCSO, Attn: FOIA Unit, 505 S. Michigan Avenue, Beulah, MI 49617. The current PDF lists bcso_records@benzieco.gov; the county page also lists 231-882-4484 extension 231 and LEvans@Benzieco.gov. Fax is 231-882-5814. Because official contacts differ, use the current form and main line to confirm the coordinator.
Benzie County Sheriff's Office
Attn: FOIA Unit
505 S. Michigan Avenue
Beulah, MI 49617
231-882-4484
bcso_records@benzieco.gov
The form warns that a nominal FOIA fee may apply but gives no flat report price. Michigan FOIA generally requires a response within five business days and permits a written extension of up to ten business days. That is a response deadline, not a promise that all records will be produced by then. Ask for electronic delivery and an itemized estimate.
What an Arrest Record Shows
A Benzie County arrest file may combine an agency report with jail entries, yet portions can be redacted. Medical screening, custody classification, juvenile information, victim details, confidential sources, and security-sensitive facts are not ordinary public fields. The released record should be read as a record of custody and allegations at that stage.
| Incident or Report Number | Connects the request to the arresting agency's source file. |
|---|---|
| Event Date, Time, and Place | Locates the reported incident and helps distinguish similar records. |
| Agency and Officer | Shows which agency made or documented the Benzie County arrest. |
| Arrest Basis | May state a warrant or warrantless probable-cause basis and the alleged facts. |
| Booking Data | Can include booking number, intake time, fingerprints, photo, and custody details. |
| Charge, Hold, and Bond | Lists the booking-stage claims and current court or hold information. |
| Booking Photo | Benzie County does not publish a public roster; an existing photo may be reviewed under public-record law. |
| Release or Transfer | Shows a recorded release, transfer, or other custody change when releasable. |
Request only the product that answers the question. A narrow request for a known incident or booking is easier to locate and review than a broad demand for every record tied to a name. Ask for an estimate when video, 911 audio, or extensive redaction may add labor.
Who Made the Benzie County Arrest
The place of booking does not identify the report custodian. The Benzie County public-safety partners page reflects the mix of county, city, state, federal, tribal, and conservation agencies serving this small but heavily visited area.
Ask BCSO for a sheriff report. A Frankfort Police report goes through the City of Frankfort FOIA channel. MSP, NPS, Grand Traverse Band Tribal Police, and DNR each retain their own records. BCSO may hold the jail booking even when it does not hold the officer's narrative.
| Agency | Likely scope | Record route |
|---|---|---|
| Benzie County Sheriff | County patrol, investigation, and jail | Sheriff FOIA form, email, fax, mail, counter, or phone |
| Frankfort Police | City of Frankfort | City of Frankfort FOIA |
| Michigan State Police | State roads and assistance | MSP FOIA and official post directory |
| National Park Service | Federal park land | DOI or NPS records channel |
| Tribal Police | Tribal jurisdiction | Grand Traverse Band police contact and rules |
| Michigan DNR | Natural-resource enforcement | Michigan DNR FOIA |
Recent Arrests and Booking Logs
Benzie County publishes no verified comprehensive booking log. The best official chain for a recent event is the jail phone, MI-VINE, MiCOURT, and a request to the arresting agency. MI-VINE can help with custody status and notification, while MiCOURT shows filed charges and court events. Neither is a full arrest report.
The official Michigan VINELink service view below represents the notification channel available when no Benzie County online roster exists.
MI-VINE is free and confidential, but its status should be checked against the jail for time-sensitive custody questions. A court case may not appear at once. A person can also be released before a reader checks, so absence from current custody does not establish whether an earlier arrest occurred.
The Benzie County Booking Path
After an arrest, an officer documents probable cause and transports the person to the jail at 505 S. Michigan Avenue in Beulah. Staff complete identity and property intake, medical and security screening, fingerprints and a photograph, and the initial charge or hold entry. The prosecutor and court then review the matter. Arraignment addresses filed charges and bond, followed by housing, transfer, or release as ordered.
Record flow: Arresting Agency › Benzie County Jail › Prosecutor Review › District Court › Circuit Court if Bound Over › MSP CJIC for Reportable Events
Each step can change the wording. The officer cites probable-cause offenses. The prosecutor may decline or amend them. A court can dismiss a count, accept a plea, acquit, or convict. Michigan State Police receives only reportable information for products such as ICHAT and relies on identity matching and later disposition updates.
Benzie County Jail Is Not OTIS
The Benzie County corrections channel concerns local jail custody. The Michigan Department of Corrections OTIS service covers state prisoners and qualifying current or recent probation and parole supervision. It excludes people held only in a county jail or city lockup, people not yet sentenced, jail-only sentences, and people off MDOC supervision for more than three years.
Use OTIS only after the question has become one about state custody or supervision. For a new Benzie County arrest, contact the jail and check MI-VINE. For filed charges, use MiCOURT. The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator is a separate source for covered federal custody. For the arrest report, ask the arresting agency. A blank OTIS search says little about a local booking.
Note: No official Benzie sheriff mobile app with an inmate or arrest tool was verified, so phone and records-request channels remain essential.
Benzie County Seasonal Arrest Context
The Sheriff's law-enforcement division overview describes a resident population near 17,800 and says summer population can exceed 50,000. Benzie County includes Lake Michigan shoreline, many inland lakes, trails, and recreation areas. The county budget separates Sheriff, Marine Law Enforcement, Seasonal Road Patrol, and Jail-Corrections functions. This mix helps explain why the arresting agency may not be obvious from a village name or mailing address.
Seasonal shifts make simple year-to-year rates easy to misread. State and federal crime tools should be checked for the exact year and reporting agency. A BCSO-only count is not necessarily countywide, and a resident-based rate does not reflect every visitor present during peak months. Use agency records for a specific arrest rather than inferring an event from a trend.
Arrests vs Convictions
A Benzie County arrest record proves that an agency documented an arrest or booking. It does not prove the alleged act or predict the court result. A conviction is a court outcome on a specific count. To move from the first event to the legal result, compare the agency report, jail record, and Benzie County criminal court case docket.
| Point | Arrest record | Conviction record |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | Arresting agency and jail | District or Circuit Court |
| What it establishes | An arrest or booking was recorded | A court entered guilt on a count |
| Main location | Agency report and jail system | Clerk file, with reportable results sent to CJIC |
| Possible next event | Release, no filing, amended charge, or filed case | Sentence, appeal, supervision, or lawful set-aside |
Note: An arrest is not proof of guilt, and a Benzie County booking may end without charges, by dismissal, or by acquittal.