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Georgetown Arrest Records

Are Arrest Records Public in Georgetown, Massachusetts?

Arrest records in Georgetown, Massachusetts are public documents accessible to all citizens pursuant to the Massachusetts Public Records Law (M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10). This statute establishes that government-generated records, including those documenting arrests, shall be available for public inspection. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts maintains this policy to ensure transparency in law enforcement operations and to uphold the public's right to information regarding governmental activities.

The Massachusetts Public Records Law specifically designates arrest logs and booking information as public records that must be disclosed upon request, with certain limited exceptions for ongoing investigations or matters involving juvenile offenders as outlined in M.G.L. Chapter 119, Section 60A. The Georgetown Police Department, as a public agency, is required to comply with these statutory provisions and make non-exempt arrest records available to requesting parties.

Members of the public should note that while arrest records are generally accessible, certain information within these records may be redacted in accordance with exemptions provided in M.G.L. Chapter 4, Section 7(26) to protect privacy interests or sensitive investigative details.

How to Look Up Georgetown Arrest Records in 2025

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Town of Georgetown provide multiple channels through which members of the public may access arrest records. Individuals seeking such information may utilize the following official methods:

Submit a Public Records Request: Citizens may file a formal request with the Georgetown Police Department Records Access Officer. Pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10, the department must respond to such requests within 10 business days.
Visit the Georgetown Police Department: Requestors may appear in person at the department headquarters to submit records requests and, in some cases, receive immediate assistance with publicly available arrest information.

Georgetown Police Department
1 Library Street
Georgetown, MA 01833
Phone: (978) 352-5700
Georgetown Police Department Official Website

Contact the Essex County District Attorney's Office: For cases that have proceeded to prosecution, arrest information may be available through the district attorney's records division.

Essex County District Attorney's Office
10 Federal Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 745-6610
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Access the Massachusetts Court System: Court records related to arrests may be obtained through the Essex County Superior Court or Georgetown District Court, depending on the severity of the alleged offense.
Submit a Request to the Town Clerk: The Georgetown Town Clerk's office maintains certain public records and can process requests for accessible documents.

Georgetown Town Clerk
Town Hall, 1 Library Street
Georgetown, MA 01833
Phone: (978) 352-5713
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Contents of a Georgetown Arrest Record

Georgetown arrest records typically contain comprehensive documentation of law enforcement interactions with detained individuals. Pursuant to Massachusetts law enforcement protocols and the requirements of M.G.L. Chapter 276, these records generally include the following elements:

Biographical Information: Full legal name of the arrested individual, known aliases, date of birth, current address, and other identifying information.
Arrest Details: Date, time, and specific location of the arrest; the name and badge number of the arresting officer(s); and the law enforcement agency responsible for the arrest.
Criminal Charges: Specific statutory violations alleged, including Massachusetts General Laws chapter and section references, and the classification of offenses as misdemeanors or felonies.
Incident Description: A factual narrative describing the circumstances leading to the arrest, including probable cause determination.
Processing Information: Documentation of booking procedures, including fingerprinting, photographing, and property inventory.
Bail Determination: Records of bail hearings, amounts set, and conditions of release if applicable.
Court Information: Initial appearance date, court location, and case number assigned by the judicial system.

Requestors should be aware that certain sensitive information may be redacted from publicly available arrest records in accordance with privacy protections established in M.G.L. Chapter 4, Section 7(26), including but not limited to social security numbers, medical information, and details pertaining to victims of certain offenses.

Expungement of Arrest Records in Georgetown

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides statutory mechanisms for the expungement of arrest records under specific circumstances as codified in M.G.L. Chapter 276, Section 100E-100U. Individuals seeking expungement of Georgetown arrest records must satisfy criteria established by state law and follow prescribed procedural requirements.

Pursuant to the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2018, expungement may be available in the following circumstances:

Cases resulting from mistaken identity or unauthorized use of personal identifying information
Offenses that are no longer criminalized under Massachusetts law
Cases where the arrest record was created before the individual's 21st birthday, subject to waiting periods and eligibility requirements
Certain first-time offenses after completion of statutorily defined waiting periods

The expungement process requires petitioners to:

File a petition for expungement with the Commissioner of Probation using the form prescribed by the commissioner
Submit supporting documentation demonstrating eligibility under statutory criteria
Await determination by the Commissioner or, in certain cases, judicial review of the petition

If granted, expungement results in the permanent erasure of records from all official repositories, including those maintained by the Georgetown Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, and the Massachusetts Court System.

Individuals should note that expungement differs from sealing of records under M.G.L. Chapter 276, Section 100A, which makes records unavailable to the public but preserves them for certain governmental and law enforcement purposes.

Legal Restrictions on Arrest Record Access

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts imposes certain statutory limitations on public access to arrest records in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 6, Section 172 and related provisions. These restrictions serve to balance the public's right to information with individual privacy interests and law enforcement operational needs.

Access to Georgetown arrest records may be limited in the following circumstances:

Juvenile Records: Pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 119, Section 60A, records pertaining to juvenile offenders (under age 18) are subject to heightened confidentiality protections and generally not available for public inspection.
Sealed Records: Records that have been sealed by court order under M.G.L. Chapter 276, Section 100A are removed from public access, though they remain available to law enforcement agencies and certain governmental entities.
Ongoing Investigations: Information related to active investigations may be temporarily withheld if disclosure would compromise law enforcement proceedings, as permitted under exemption (f) of M.G.L. Chapter 4, Section 7(26).
Privacy Protections: Personal identifying information such as social security numbers, dates of birth, and medical information is typically redacted from publicly available records in accordance with Georgetown's municipal bylaws and state privacy regulations.
CORI Restrictions: The Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) system, governed by M.G.L. Chapter 6, Sections 167-178B, establishes tiered access levels for criminal history information, with certain data available only to authorized entities.

Requestors seeking arrest records should be aware that these statutory limitations may affect the scope and content of information provided in response to public records requests.