If you are not familiar with Louisiana history and law, you may wonder why, when you search for information on St. James County, you find only results for St. James Parish, LA. Louisiana has parishes rather than counties, and this stems from the area’s origins as colonies of the French and Spanish, both of which were influenced by the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church divides areas by parishes, and although at one time there were some county divisions in Louisiana, they are now all parishes.
If you are doing an arrest warrant search, and know to look in St. James Parish rather than St. James County, the sheriff’s website (http://www.stjamessheriff.com) lists a Warrants office under the Corrections Division. There is no online list of active warrants provided by St. James Parish, nor does Louisiana publish a statewide list of individuals with outstanding warrants.
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has a Fugitive Warrant section. That office handles parole and probation issues on the interstate level. The office submits information to the National Crime Information Center. The Department of Corrections website (http://www.doc.la.gov) provides a link to the DOC “Most Wanted” list. The list includes fugitives at large and absconders. Viewers are cautioned not to approach or try to capture any fugitives.
However, the Department of Corrections does not provide any information in their possession as to arrest records and criminal backgrounds:
Under Louisiana law, particularly the provisions of R.S. 15:574.12, the records of offenders, past, present, or future, in the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Corrections Services, is confidential and cannot be disclosed, directly or indirectly, to anyone.
Curiously, the DOC site points out that some information they (the DOC) will not divulge may be available through other state or parish entities. When the DOC holds the information, it is considered confidential, even if available through other means.
You may find information on outstanding warrants and arrests on the St. James Parish sheriff’s website, including weekly crime reports (https://stjamessheriff.com/arrest-reports/).
If you need information on St. James Parish recent arrests and warrants, whom should you call? (In 2021)
- Take your inquiries pertaining to inmate search and recent arrests to Corrections-(225) 562-2204.
- Take your warrant search and arrest report request to the Criminal Records-(225) 562-2374.
- Take your questions pertaining to a criminal investigation to the Crime Investigation Division- (225) 562-2219.
- Take your inquiries pertaining to judicial records to the Clerk of Court-(225) 562-2270.
- Take your questions about victim’s assistance to the District Attorney’s Office-(225) 562-2434.
Crime statistics of St. James Parish
Around 430 criminal complaints were taken to the St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office in 2019. Nearly 370 of the cases involved property offenses. Approximately 225 larceny-theft complaints and around 125 burglary complaints were included in this total. Around 60 complaints were filed against violent offenses, such as homicide and serious assault.