The Henry County Sheriff's Office offers many
services to the public in addition to the more traditional law
enforcement
activities. Below is a list of these services and how to take advantage
of them. All information on these services is intended to be general in
nature, and subject to change. Please call (309) 937-3911 if you have
any
questions. Civil Process - By some
accounts,
the original purpose of Sheriff's Offices was to act as agents of the
Courts.
This is certainly one of the oldest duties of sheriffs and their
deputies,
and is still one of our primary functions today. Our Civil Process
office
receives papers for service on individuals and companies and
distributes
them out to deputies for service. Service of a paper is the delivery of
the document to either the person named on it or to a family member at
least 13 years of age. Avoiding service is a Class B Misdemeanor in
Illinois,
and depending on the circumstances can also be Intimidation, a Class 3
Felony. We handle hundreds of these papers every year, and there is a
fee
for this service. For more information, click the link or contact our
Civil
Process office at (309) 937-3970 on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Civil Capias Warrants - A civil capias warrant is
a special type of apprehension order, issued in civil court cases where
the defendant repeatedly fails to comply with the judge's orders. These
are also called Body Attachments and Mittimuses, and are slightly
different
from Criminal Warrants. If you have obtained a Civil Capias warrant on
an individual, you must complete and attach a warrant
form to it for us to process it properly. Click
here to display the form on your computer, then print it out, fill
it in and attach it to the warrant. Call (309) 937-3911 for more
information. Convicted Sex Offender Registration - Those who are
convicted of a sex offense are required to register with their local
law
enforcement agency. Offenders must register within ten days of either
their
release from custody or a change of address. Registration is required
for
ten years after release from custody, and in certain cases can be
required
for the offender's natural life. The public is allowed access to this
information
by coming into the Sheriff's Office, presenting a valid photo ID, and
payment
of a small fee. We will provide you with a list of all convicted sex
offenders
registered in Henry County, showing the name, address, date of birth,
and
offense for each offender. All registrations and requests for
information
must be done during normal business hours. Offenders will need to call
to set up a registration appointment, and the public will need to speak
to a deputy assigned to offender registration. Direct all inquiries to
(309) 937-3970, weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Lockouts, Auto/Home - Up until a few years ago, law
enforcement agencies in Illinois were able to unlock cars at no charge
when people had accidentally locked the doors with the keys inside.
This
created ever increasing liability for the agency, especially with the
introduction
of side impact air bags in newer vehicles. Due to the passage of a
recent
law, we are no longer able to perform this service on a vehicle unless
it is an emergency situation of some kind. An emergency is an immediate
threat to the safety of life and/or property. All non-emergency auto
lockouts
are now referred to locksmiths or to towing companies with lockout
tools.
Unless you believe you have an emergency situation, or are not sure,
please
refer to your yellow pages under Locksmith or Towing for help. If you
are
not familiar with the area we may be able to make contact for you. We
are
still able to assist persons locked out of their home to a certain
degree,
so if this happens to you please call us and we will do what we can.
Call
(309) 937-3911 for service. Fingerprinting - Many employers now require their
employees to be fingerprinted, and the Henry County Sheriff's Office
can
perform this service any time, day or night. We do ask that you call
ahead
first to allow us to make arrangements, but it is not necessary. There
is no fee for this service, and you
must supply your own card for
your fingerprints. For information call (309) 937-3940 anytime. Property Registration
- Property crime is an ongoing problem in Illinois and causes the loss
of thousands of dollars of property, personal valuables, and in some
cases
causes bodily harm. To fight this problem, a program was developed by
the
Illinois Sheriff's Association to help prevent theft and to aid in
recovery
of stolen items. The system provides for county Sheriffs to assign an
identification
number to any person or business and requires that a file be kept of
all
such numbers that are issued. Click here
for
more information on this crime prevention program. Public Records - The vast majority of the activities
of the Sheriff's Office are a matter of public record. Copies of
incident
and accident reports are available from the Henry County Sheriff's
Office
Records Division. Copies of motor vehicle accident, theft, property
damage,
and other reports can be requested by using a form
and mailing or faxing it to us. Requests can also be made in person,
although
the turn around time required does not allow us to make these reports
available
immediately. Click here to
display
the form on your computer, then print it out, fill it in and return it.
There are fees associated with some reports. Contact the Records
Division
at (309) 937-3616 or (309) 937-3906 on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
for more information. Freebies - The Henry County Sheriff's Office has many
sources of information available free to the public, including Illinois
Highway maps, Illinois FOID (Firearm Owners ID card) Application Forms,
Rules of the Road and Bicycle Safety books, and much more. Feel free to
stop by our office any time during normal working hours and check out
what's
available.
