Union Township NJ Arrest Records
Union Township is one of the largest municipalities in Union County with a population near 59,000. The township sits in the northeast part of the county and shares borders with several towns, including Springfield, Hillside, and Kenilworth. Arrest records from Union Township pass through the local police department, the Union County court system in Elizabeth, and the county corrections facility. Each of these offices holds a different part of the record. The township's location along major roads and its large residential base mean that local police handle a steady volume of arrests each year, and those records are available to the public through multiple channels.
Union Township Arrest Records Quick Facts
Union Township Police Arrest Reports
The Union Township Police Department generates most of the arrest records in the community. The department runs from its main station on Bonnel Court and covers a township that spans about nine square miles. Officers respond to calls from a mix of residential streets, commercial areas along Route 22, and the neighborhoods that border neighboring towns.
When an officer makes an arrest, the department creates a report. The report holds the name and date of birth of the person, the date and time of the arrest, the charges, and a brief summary of the facts. These reports go into the department's records system and stay on file. If the charge is indictable, the report also gets shared with the Union County Prosecutor's Office for review.
To get a copy of a police report from Union Township, you file a request under the Open Public Records Act at N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1. The law gives the public the right to government records and sets a seven-business-day window for the agency to respond. You can file the request in person at the station, by mail, or through the township website.
Union County Criminal Identification
The Union County Bureau of Criminal Identification is the central repository for all criminal records in the county. Located at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth, the BCI holds arrest records, fingerprint data, and booking information from every municipality in Union County, including Union Township. You can reach the BCI at 908-558-2630.
The BCI is the place to go when you need a thorough search of someone's arrest history in Union County. Staff can search by name, date of birth, or SBI number. The SBI is the State Bureau of Identification number that New Jersey assigns to each person who gets arrested and fingerprinted. If you have this number, the search goes fast. Without it, a name search may return more than one result if the name is common.
The image below shows the NJ Division of Criminal Justice, which oversees the statewide systems that feed into and connect with the Union County BCI.
State and county criminal identification systems work hand in hand. Records created at the local level in Union Township flow up to the county BCI and then into the state database maintained by the Division of Criminal Justice.
| Office | Union County Bureau of Criminal Identification |
|---|---|
| Address | 2 Broad St, Elizabeth, NJ |
| Phone | 908-558-2630 |
| Records Held | Arrest data, fingerprints, booking records for all Union County municipalities |
Union County Jail and Inmate Search
People arrested in Union Township on serious charges may be held at the Union County Jail. The facility is at 15 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth. You can call 908-558-2600 for questions about inmates or booking status. The jail serves all 21 municipalities in Union County.
The Union County Sheriff's Office runs an online inmate lookup tool. This tool lets you search for people currently held at the county jail. Results show the name, booking date, charges, and detention status. It is a fast way to check if someone arrested in Union Township is still in custody.
The sheriff's office is at 10 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth. You can reach them at 908-527-4450. The office handles jail operations, court security, and records related to inmates and warrants. For records held by the sheriff, you can file an OPRA request through the county website or contact the office by phone.
Bail decisions in Union County follow the state Criminal Justice Reform Act. Most people arrested in the township are now assessed based on a risk score rather than cash bail. The jail keeps records of each booking and release, and those records become part of the public file unless a judge orders them sealed.
Union Township Court Records
Union Township has a municipal court that hears disorderly persons offenses, ordinance violations, and traffic cases. The court keeps records of each case from the initial complaint through the resolution. You can get copies by reaching out to the court clerk at the municipal building.
For indictable crimes, cases go to the Union County Superior Court in Elizabeth. The NJ Courts public portal lets you search for criminal case records by name. The system covers all of Union County and returns results with charge details, hearing dates, and case status. This is a free tool that runs at all hours.
The Bureau of Identification page on the Union County website also provides information about how criminal records are tracked and stored at the county level. This is useful context when you are trying to understand what records exist for a given arrest and where to find them.
How to Search Union Township Arrest Records
You have several options for looking up arrest records from Union Township. The best path depends on what you need and how recent the case is. Here is a breakdown of your main choices:
- Search the NJ Courts portal for indictable criminal case records
- Use the Union County inmate lookup for current jail bookings
- Contact the Union County BCI at 908-558-2630 for arrest and fingerprint records
- File an OPRA request with Union Township Police for local arrest reports
- Reach the Union County Sheriff at 908-527-4450 for jail and warrant data
Online tools work well for quick checks on recent cases. The NJ Courts portal is free and covers all indictable matters from Union County. The inmate lookup shows real-time data on who is held at the county jail. For older records, certified copies, or records that are not online, you will need to go through the BCI, the court clerk, or an OPRA request.
The image below shows the NJ OPRA Central portal, which is the state-level hub for public records requests that may include Union Township arrest data held by state agencies.
State-level OPRA requests can reach records that local offices may not hold, such as State Police files or records from the Division of Criminal Justice central repository.
Sealed and expunged records will not appear in any public search. New Jersey allows people to petition for the removal of certain offenses from their record, and once a court grants that petition, the data is pulled from all public databases.
Union County Arrest Records
Union Township is one of 21 municipalities in Union County. All indictable criminal cases from the township go through the county Superior Court in Elizabeth, and the county jail holds inmates from across the region. For a broader look at criminal records throughout Union County, including other towns and county-wide resources, visit the full county arrest records page.