Lakewood Municipality, Ohio Criminal Records
In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the city of Lakewood has its own set of police reports, arrests, and criminal records. Lakewood’s legal and policing records are kept by separate agencies. The Lakewood Police Department keeps records on crime and law enforcement. The Lakewood Law Department prosecutes cases in the Lakewood Municipal Court.
Lakewood Municipal Court has jurisdiction over all criminal cases, including traffic cases, that occur within the city. Lakewood Municipal Court has jurisdiction over all cases involving misdemeanors. Most cases that involve crimes that are classified as felonies begin in Lakewood Municipal Court. However, cases that involve crimes that are classified as felonies are ultimately heard in the Common Pleas Court of Cuyahoga County.
As a result, cases that begin in Lakewood Municipal Court and involve crimes that are classified as felonies result in a Lakewood criminal record that is composed of records from both Lakewood Municipal Court and Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
What are Lakewood Public Records?
Lakeside public records are records of the governmental activities performed or recorded by the City of Lakewood and other public offices in Ohio. These records are available to the public under Ohio’s Public Records Act, Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43, and requesters are not required to state a reason for making a request. These records cover the activities of city officials and employees and include records of city council, budgets, ordinances, permits, contracts, and other documents and records of city business.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public office is not required to release records that are exempt from disclosure. Exempt records include, among others, records that if disclosed, would constitute an unwarranted invasion of individual’s privacy and records that are protected from disclosure by state or federal law. Additionally, records may be withheld if they relate to, among other things, litigation, investigations, or law enforcement.
When records that are subject to public disclosure contain exempt information, the public office is required to make a reasonable effort to separate the exempt and public information. If the public office determines that the records are completely exempt from disclosure, the public office shall notify the requestor of the reasons for the exemption.
Lakewood Crime Statistics
The Lakewood Police Department’s 2025 Annual Report provides crime data for Lakewood from the Ohio Incident-Based Reporting System. In 2025, the township reported 62 violent crimes. Those crimes included 26 robberies, 28 aggravated assaults, and 8 rapes. Lakewood reported no murders for the year. The 462 reported property crimes included 44 breaking and entering crimes, 365 larceny and thefts, and 53 motor vehicle thefts.
According to the report, 721 felony and 2,105 misdemeanor arrests were made in 2025, and 6,802 citations were issued for traffic violations, including 150 for OVI.
The Police Department states that the crimes reported are only a snapshot of crimes that occurred in Lakewood and provides historical data to assist in interpreting the data.
Are Lakewood Criminal Records Public?
Per the Ohio Public Records Act, Lakewood criminal records are open to the public (Ohio Revised Code § 149.43). Records kept by public entities are accessible to anyone. Lakewood Police Department maintains criminal records, while the city’s Law Department prosecutes criminal cases in Lakewood Municipal Court.
Not all Lakewood criminal records are publicly accessible. Several Ohio statutes provide for the existence of records and information that are exempt or confidential. Such records may include law-enforcement records, personal, identifying, or medical information, protected records, and other exempt information. In these instances, the publicly accessible information must be provided to the requester.
Criminal and traffic offenses that occur within the municipal limits are heard in Lakewood Municipal Court at:
Lakewood Municipal Court
12650 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
Phone: (216) 529-6700
Misdemeanor cases are heard and adjudicated in Lakewood Municipal Court, while felony cases are processed there before moving to the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County for final disposition.
How to Obtain Lakewood Police Reports and Arrest Records
Reports and arrest records of the Lakewood police can be found at the Lakewood Police Department Records Room. The department will accept requests for police records through various means, including phone, fax, email, and in person. The department is located at:
Lakewood Police Department
12650 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
Email:police.records@lakewoodoh.gov
Crash and arrest records may be requested by fax to (216) 521-7727. Request logs may be picked up at the Department between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Requests may also be made by phone at (216) 529-6785.
Lakeside police reports become available to the public generally within three business days after the completion of an investigation. Reports may be edited, or information may be withheld if exempt by the Ohio Revised Code. Lakeside police offer a service called Police-2-Citizen to provide accident and arrest records to the public.
How to Find Sex Offender Information in Lakewood
Residents of Lakewood who want to access information on registered sex offenders can go to the Ohio Attorney General’s sex offender registry website. The registry has information on sex offenders and offenders who have committed crimes against children throughout the state. Information on the registry is limited to name only, and residents cannot search for offenders based on physical location. The Attorney General maintains this public registry, and other more restrictive information on the offenders is only made available to select persons.
The Lakewood Police Department is in charge of law enforcement for Lakewood. Similar to other police departments, the Lakewood Police Department has a website that has information for the public. That information includes how to file a public records request. However, unlike other police departments, the Lakewood Police Department’s website does not provide information about registered sex offenders.
Since information about sex offenders in Lakewood is unavailable, persons interested in that information can access the Ohio Attorney General’s website and limit their search to Lakewood or the ZIP codes in Lakewood.
What Happens if My Request for Criminal Records is Denied in Lakewood?
When Lakewood refuses a criminal-records request, Ohio law requires it to identify the legal basis for the refusal (Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43). The legal basis may include, but is not limited to, an exemption, a record that is sealed, or a record that Lakewood does not maintain. An individual may direct questions about an unfulfilled request or an explanation regarding a denial to the Lakewood Law Department at (216) 529-6030. An individual may file a request for review of an unfulfilled public-records request with the Ohio Court of Claims. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office does not hear or consider individual appeals regarding the Public Records Act. Requests for record denials are to be filed with the Court of Claims.
How to Expunge or Seal Lakewood Criminal Records
Ohio Revised Code Section 2953.32 provides a process by which individuals may petition the court for sealing or expungement of their criminal records. Certain eligibility requirements apply, such as records of qualifying misdemeanor and certain felony convictions becoming eligible to be sealed after the completion of the sentence and following a wait period of 1 to 3 years. Records of qualifying felony convictions become eligible to be sealed after the wait period and following the completion of the sentence.
Upon sealing a felony conviction, the individual then becomes eligible for expungement after a 10-year wait from the date of the conviction to apply for expungement. Kent cases are sealed or expunged in the court in which the crime was committed, and sealings and expungements are granted at the court’s discretion, after the court determines that the individual has been rehabilitated.