Search Bethel Arrest Records
Bethel Census Area 24 Hour Booking records cover people taken into custody by Bethel Police, Alaska State Troopers, and Village Public Safety Officers in the lower Kuskokwim region. Most arrests come through the Bethel Police blotter and end at the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center. To run a 24 Hour Booking search in Bethel, you check the police blotter, file a records request with the department, and use CourtView for case data. This page lays out each step.
Bethel Census Area Booking Overview
Bethel Police Department Booking Log
The Bethel Police Department keeps a public blotter with current jail register information. The office sits at 500 Ridgecrest Drive, P.O. Box 809, Bethel, AK 99559. Main lines are (907) 543-3333 and (907) 543-3781. The fax is (907) 543-5086. The blotter shows current inmates, charges, and basic booking details. Each entry has a report number, date, time, crime classification, a short narrative, the arrestee name, and the remand location.
Bethel arrest categories include simple, aggravated, and domestic violence assault, DUI for alcohol or drugs, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, theft, and warrant arrests. Most people get sent to the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center for booking and detention. The blotter is the fastest place to check for a recent Bethel 24 Hour Booking. The city updates the page often.
Below is the Bethel Police Department blotter. The city posts updates at cityofbethel.org.
Use the Bethel blotter for the most recent arrests. The page posts new entries on a regular schedule. You can also click through to other police news and city updates from the same page.
Note: A Public Safety Advisory Commission set up in 2019 has the power to access Bethel Police records and provides civilian oversight for the department.
Police Records Request Process
Bethel Police offers three forms for records: a Public Request for Information, a Police Department Request for Police Report, and a Request for Statistics. All three are downloadable PDFs. Fill in the requestor name, date, mailing address, phone, email, and fax. Initial each acknowledgment box. The form has a payment line, a public review note, and a non litigation affidavit.
Standard fees are $10 for an officer report of three pages. Each extra page is $0.25. Audio, video, or photo attachments cost $20 per disc. A 12-200 collision report is $10. A dispatch log copy is $5. The form requires a signature stating you are not in litigation with the City of Bethel. Submit by mail, in person, or by email. The standard response time is 10 business days under AS 40.25.110. Extensions of another 10 days may apply per 2 AAC 96.325(d).
Bethel Municipal Code Chapter 2.04 covers access to public records. Chapter 2.44 covers records management. Both add city level rules on top of the state APRA. The city clerk handles general records. The police department handles arrest reports, blotter data, and incident files. Some criminal justice information is exempt under AS 12.62.160.
Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center
The Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center, known as YKCC, is the main detention facility for the Bethel Census Area. The address is 1000 Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway, P.O. Box 400, Bethel, AK 99559. The phone is (907) 543-5245. The fax is (907) 543-3097. YKCC was built for fewer than 100 inmates. The facility now houses 200 or more on a regular basis. Severe overcrowding has been raised in legislative testimony. The gym was converted to cells.
Most inmates at YKCC are pre trial detainees. Many face substance abuse related charges. The facility is run by the Alaska Department of Corrections. Booking records at YKCC list the full legal name, date of birth, charges, bail amount, booking number, and housing unit. Find an inmate at YKCC through the Alaska VINE system or by direct call to the facility. Visit hours need advance scheduling.
Below is the Alaska Department of Corrections page that covers YKCC and the rest of the state system. Visit doc.alaska.gov for facility info.
Trooper Coverage and Bethel Post
Alaska State Troopers maintain a post in Bethel at 1300 Akiak Drive, Bethel, AK 99559. The phone is (907) 543-2294. The Bethel Post provides backup for Bethel Police and primary coverage for the surrounding villages. Troopers also work with Village Public Safety Officers, or VPSOs. A VPSO is the first responder in many small Yup'ik communities along the Kuskokwim River.
Trooper arrests in the region show up on the Alaska State Troopers Daily Dispatch. Each entry has a case number, time, place, charge, and the remand facility. Most people taken in by troopers in this area also end up at YKCC.
For full trooper reports, file a request through the DPS FOIA portal. Include the date and incident number. Most requests come back in 10 working days. The first five person hours of search per calendar month are free under AS 40.25.110.
Court Records and CourtView
The Bethel Court is at 204 Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway, Bethel, AK 99559. The phone is (907) 543-1105. The court serves the full Bethel Census Area for criminal case filings and proceedings. Court clerks help with case file review during business hours. Payment for fines and fees runs through the clerk's office.
Search criminal cases for free on CourtView. The system covers superior and district court matters across the state. Search by case number, party name, or ticket number. Bethel case numbers take the form 4BE-25-00001CR with leading zeros. The system shows charges, hearing dates, and docket entries. Records may come off the public site after dismissal or acquittal under AS 22.35.030.
Certified copies cost $5 first, $3 after. Court research time runs $30 per hour. Records before 1990 sit on paper card index only.
What Bethel Booking Records Show
A Bethel booking record covers the standard intake fields. Each line helps confirm the identity of the person on the page.
- Full legal name, date of birth, physical description
- Date, time, and place of arrest
- Statutory charges with Alaska Statute references
- Arresting officer name and badge number
- Agency case number and incident report reference
- Booking photographs and fingerprints
- Custody status and bail determination
Personal property inventory and medical screening notes also go on the file. Mugshots may be redacted for ongoing investigations. Juvenile cases are protected. Social security numbers and confidential informant details are always withheld.
VINE and Background Checks
Use the Alaska VINE system to track a person from Bethel through state custody. The service is free. Call 1-800-247-9763 or go to vinelink.com. Sign up for alerts so you get a phone call when the person is released, transferred, or escapes. TTY service is at 1-866-847-1298. VINE is confidential.
For an official Alaska criminal history, file a request with the DPS Criminal Records and Identification Bureau. Name based checks cost $20. Fingerprint checks cost $35. The bureau is at 5700 East Tudor Road, Anchorage. Phone (907) 269-5767. The unit also runs the Alaska Sex Offender Registry.
Nearby Boroughs
The Bethel Census Area sits next to several other rural census areas in Western Alaska. Pick a nearby borough below to keep your 24 Hour Booking search going.