Why in the everloving hell does a simple misdemeanor arrest take 2 hours to process through intake. Every time I arrest someone, I swear I'll never do it again. I'm the only person in line...this is absolutely insane...I fail to comprehend how broken this process can be.

Only reason I'm here is because policy required it. This is so stupid.



The other LE on here...how does it work for yall?

5 minutes...if the probable cause sheet is exported to booking by another officer, if it isn't it is closer to 25 minutes. Municipal jails are often faster than the county. I have never had a booking take 2 hours at the jail.

You ever get to the magistrates office and they're out to lunch? For two hours? Or went home early because there was nothing going on and the incoming one doesn't show up til 0730? Happens all the time here.

Only time it took more than 15 minutes is if they were backed up.

quote:

Originally posted by ulsterman:
Only time it took more than 15 minutes is if they were backed up.

This. I've occasionally had to wait for a nurse to clear one if there was a medical emergency elsewhere in the jail but that is rare.

I guess you miss the old days in Mayberry.

We process before transport to the county facility if they are staying beyond 24 hours.

Rearely does it take more then ten minutes if we bring the correct paperwork properly filled out>

In the old facilty in NJ, we would swing through the drive in at the White Castle. If the prisoner was a decent person ( and most really were), we'd get them a few burgers. We'd pick some up for the Correction's staff. Nothing like greasing the wheels to speed up the process.

But admittedly, my last trip has been many years ago. Sadly, the new facility no longer is near the White Castle.

Had a grunge band concert once. We pulled up with a public intox and the line for the sally port went around the block, nothing but vans.

Took him home, his luck day.

It's always head count time as soon as I get my commitment paperwork, never fails. Two hours is about average with no hiccups(printer in officer processing down, booking SGT tied up delaying CCH, etc...) depending on transport time to the ADC.

I remember those days.
But considering we can no longer arrest for misdemeanors even those that occur in our presence sure has cut down on the wait time when we do arrest someone.

Then with my luck it is either shift change or the intake pizza party so I end up waiting.

Fed. 15 minutes at the Marshal's cellblock, tops. I do everything possible to not make unnecessary work for the USMS guys and that seems to help a lot in terms of the "customer service" we receive.

At local county jails-- only an issue if I can't get the defendant before a magistrate before COB and we need to lodge 'em until the next court business day-- MAYBE 20-30 minutes. Half of that is the booking officer massaging their local system to take atypical arresting agency info, strange charges, etc, and the obligatory "Wait... This s**t is something you can actually get arrested for???" questions.

About 2 minutes for a warrant arrest. Everything else anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour depending on how fast you can punch out a pc affadavit and citation on the computer.

Most of the time the longest part is waiting for the notary to come to stamp and sign your affadavit. Evidentially we can be trusted to enforce the laws and tell the truth on the paperwork but, got to have a notary sign and swear to your signature on the damn thing.

10 minutes tops, unless I was like third in line. I'd have had all my booking docs done before I got there. Once over of the prisoner's property sheet, charging DOC or PC Affidavit and I'm out of there.

Yall are some lucky bastards.

Here we make the arrest. Park somewhere and do the computerized arrest information and affidavit (which is NOT required or used by the magistrate system).

Then we go to the jail. On a good day, if you're the only one pulling up, bank on an hour. I had one last week for exctasy where I was the only officer...1 hour, 50 minutes!

A bad day, you roll up and there are 6 officers, a trooper, company police, and a transport van in front of you. That's a 4 hour wait. Your shift is done.

Then if your arrestee gets the thumbs down from the nurse, there's another 2+ hours for a roundtrip to the hospital.

The only saving grace is that certain days we have 2 officers that work for us at intake. They take a look at your paperwork and if it's not jacked up or too complicated, they take it for you, once the prisoner passes medical. Still looking at 20 minutes to an hour.

Meanwhile, your division (precinct) is getting slammed. I came out of the jail to 8 calls holding just for our 10 Sq mile division, one a priority. Of the 10 of us working, 2 were jammed up at the damn jail for 2 hours and a third for 5. Four were working 3 different accidents in the pouring ass rain in the same 1/2 mile of an 8 lane highway.

It was a shitty day.

The good:

In my state, there are basically no restrictions on what we can and cannot arrest for. No requirement that a misdemeanor occur in our presence. No goofy ass going before a judge. Nothing. Complete a complaint and affidavit (one form), have it notarized (any peace officer can notarize as a function of their job, no commissioning required), drop at jail. Initial appearances are at 8 AM. Oh, and the officer doesn't need to come to initials, or a preliminary hearing (they're extremely rare, but possible, but I've never heard of an officer who has been to one), or grand jury (statue allows for it, but also allows trial information filed by the county attorney). Also, arrest warrants are obtained electronically by submitting a notarized complaint and affidavit with a box checked for "warrant requested" to indicate that's what's happening and it's not an initial arrest. All of the preceding is true for everything from simple misdemeanors to class A felonies.

The bad:

Our jail is dated and the wait can be zero to you name it. I've waited for almost two hours before. We also have no indoor waiting area, so you sit in the car with them. The "Sally port" is one stall, and only for combative prisoners, so that sucks, too. If refused by the jail, medical clearance usually is an hour or more. Although I complain about the wait, usually it's not bad. We also do none of our own booking and do not have to wait while they're booked, so once I get to booking, I'm gone as soon as they're uncuffed and searched.

You can easily complete an arrest including transport time in less than fifteen minutes if you're close to the jail and have minimal paperwork (like a warrant arrest). I have done a drunk driving arrest, including transport to the PD for chemical testing and transport to the jail in 32 minutes. I routinely do them in under 60. That is from time of traffic stop do driving away from the jail.

When I first started and for about 16 years after that, it was easy. I would drive them back to the station, pull into the jail bay and hand them off to a CO. That was it. We had a full service jail.

Our jail recently a few years ago and we contract with three other jails now.

Our #1 jail is one city to the west and we pay them $6k/mo and that doesn't take too long. We drive there, drop off, advise the CO what the charge is then leave.

This isn't too bad. But, if they are full, we have to use jail #2 which is 24 miles away!
Yes, 24 miles away. We always hope they are full because we then use jail #3 which is one city to the east.

Yes, one city to the east. We use them last because jail #2 charges $5 less per day for an inmate. They don't care about all the gas we waste or time going to jail #2 because $5/day is $5/day if someone isn't getting out.

But here's the stupid thing. Jail #3 and Jail #1 use our muni court system. Jail #2 does not and if someone has to appear in court, we have to drive all the way back out to jail #2, transport back and then hope jail #1 (that's where our court is located as well) has room once they are done in court.

For misdemeanors, no going before anyone. We or someone sign a cite and it's good enough for our court. For felonies, we hold until our affidavit gets looked at and signed by a judge (it's done electronically).

Next year, our jail is supposed to be taken over by the county and they are guaranteeing us 20 beds.

Now, if all three jails are full, we use our own jail and have to do our own booking, fingerprinting, checking on them every 30 minutes, feeding them, etc. It sucks.

We have regional jails here. Each serves about 8-10 surrounding counties. There are 55 counties in WV. When we arrest someone on a municipal court misdemeanor we have the authority to collect bond. If they don't post it's a 54 mile trip one way down I-79 and US-50. Then the medical screening bullshit at booking. If they're accepted it's a 2 1/2 hour round trip post on-station processing. If they're refused then we cal an ambulance. Which never arrives in under 40 minutes. Then follow the ambulance to the hospital 40 miles back the way we came from. You can probably guess how quick an ER visit for medical clearance goes. Then back to the jail. Usually extending well beyond end of shift.

Still feeling bitchy about your process? Ha.

Just heard our jail is now requiring all female prisoners to take a pregnancy test. If positive you have to take them to the hospital for medical clearance.

Remember what I said yesterday? That I'd never arrest anyone again?

I arrested a DWI for causing an accident. He was already revoked for DWI. Handcuffs went on at 10pm. I get off at 11. Today was my Friday.

It's 1:45 am. Damnit.

Do not even get me started....