Search Amherst Booking Reports
Amherst booking reports document arrests made in this large Erie County suburb just east of Buffalo. The Amherst Police Department handles law enforcement for the town, and people arrested here are taken to the Erie County Holding Center in downtown Buffalo for booking and processing. If you want to search for Amherst booking reports, you will need to work through Erie County agencies since the town does not run its own jail. The Erie County Sheriff's Office manages the holding center and keeps all booking records. This guide covers where to go and what steps to take when searching for arrest records tied to Amherst.
Amherst Booking Reports Overview
Where Amherst Booking Reports Are Kept
The Amherst Police Department at (716) 689-1221 makes arrests in the town. But Amherst does not have its own jail. Arrestees get transported to the Erie County Holding Center at 40 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. That is the pretrial, maximum security detention facility for all of Erie County. It has a capacity of 638 inmates and processes more than 20,000 people each year.
The Erie County Sheriff's Office runs the holding center. Their main number is (716) 858-7618 and the office is at 10 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202. All booking reports for Amherst arrests end up in their system. The Sheriff also operates the Erie County Correctional Facility at 11581 Walden Avenue in Alden, NY 14004, which holds sentenced inmates. That facility's number is (716) 937-9100.
Booking reports created at the holding center include the full name of the person arrested, the date and time of booking, all charges, the arresting agency (in this case, Amherst PD), bail information, and housing assignment. These records stay on file at the Sheriff's Office.
Note: Even though the arrest happens in Amherst, the booking report itself is created and stored at the Erie County Holding Center in Buffalo.
How to Find Amherst Booking Reports
Start with the Erie County Sheriff's Office. They maintain booking records for all arrests processed at the holding center. You can submit a FOIL request in writing to the Records Access Officer at 10 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202. Include the person's full name, date of birth, and the approximate arrest date. The agency must respond within five business days under Public Officers Law Sections 84 through 90.
Phone inquiries are another option. Call the holding center at (716) 858-7618 to ask about a current inmate. Staff can confirm whether someone is in custody and provide basic booking details. For copies of the actual report, you will likely need a written request.
The Erie County Clerk at 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo is the place for court records. Their phone is (716) 858-8785. They process more than 2 million transactions per year and can pull up criminal case files, judgments, and liens. Search all spelling variations of names when using their online system.
Amherst Arrest Records and State Databases
The DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup covers state prison inmates. If someone arrested in Amherst gets sentenced to more than one year, they transfer to state custody. You can search the DOCCS database by last name or birth year. It is available around the clock and covers inmates going back to the early 1970s.
The Office of Court Administration offers a Criminal History Record Search for $95 per name. This searches court records from all 62 New York counties. It shows convictions and open cases from County, Supreme, City, Town, and Village courts. Sealed records and cases with only violations do not appear in results.
The VINELink system provides free inmate searches and custody notifications. It covers the Erie County Holding Center and state prisons. You can register anonymously and get alerts when an inmate is released or transferred. The service operates 24/7 in multiple languages.
Note: New York's Clean Slate Act took effect November 16, 2024, and will eventually seal eligible conviction records automatically, though sex crimes and Class A felonies are excluded.
Amherst Booking Reports Under FOIL
New York's Freedom of Information Law gives you the right to request Amherst booking reports from the Erie County Sheriff's Office. You do not need to explain why you want the records. FOIL applies to all state and local agencies. The Committee on Open Government oversees the process and provides guidance to both agencies and the public.
Copies cost $0.25 per page for standard letter or legal size documents. There is no fee to inspect records in person. If your request gets denied, the agency must cite the specific legal exemption. You have 30 days to appeal a denial. Common exemptions include records tied to active investigations, sealed cases under CPL 160.50, and information that could put someone at risk.
Erie County Booking Reports
Amherst is part of Erie County. All arrests in the town are processed through the Erie County Holding Center in Buffalo. The county Sheriff's Office is the main keeper of booking records for every city, town, and village in Erie County. Visit the Erie County page for full details on the Sheriff's Office, holding center, correctional facility, and all records request procedures.
Nearby Cities
Other Erie County communities share the same booking system at the holding center. These nearby cities may be helpful if you are not sure where an arrest took place.