Crime Statistics
As part of the nationwide Uniform Crime Reporting Program pioneered by the FBI, the Illinois State Police Department publishes annual crime statistical data of index offenses. In 2017, Macon county law enforcement agencies recorded 3,358 total index offenses, a slight decline from the 3,408 offenses reported in 2016. A break down of the data revealed larceny-theft to be the most recurring offense, accounting for 56% of the total reported crimes.
There were 818 reported incidents of burglary, making it the county's second-most reported offense, while aggravated-assault was recorded to be the most popular in the violent crime subset and the county's third-most reported offense with 314 incidents. With 113 and 104 reports respectively, robbery and motor vehicle theft were the fourth and fifth-most recorded criminal acts while the least reported offenses were reported to be arson, rape, and criminal homicide, which, collectively constituted 3.3% of the county's reported crimes.
Criminal Records
The Illinois State Police Department maintains the state's repository of criminal history information. It is charged with processing statewide requests for criminal records and background checks. At the county level, this service is provided by Macon Sheriff's Office which serves as the main law enforcement agency of the county. The office maintains and provides public access to crime-related records and reports of the county including county-based criminal history checks.
How to Get Criminal Records
Macon County criminal record requests are processed by the Records Department of the County Sheriff's Office. The records provided by the office include information regarding arrests, misdemeanor, and felony charges, as well as convictions and pending dispositions which relate to or were processed within its jurisdiction. Requests for state-level criminal records can be made to the state police department. To obtain criminal records from the Macon County Sheriff, interested persons may download and complete the Sheriff's FOIA form for name-based checks or query the office in person for fingerprint-based checks.
The FOIA form must legibly indicate the full name of the subject, their date of birth and social security number. Requestors will also be required to state the purpose for requesting the record and enclose a fee of $10 plus the actual cost of the recording if the record is maintained in electronic format. Requests may be submitted in person or via mail:
Macon County Sheriff's Office
FOI Officer
333 S. Franklin St.
Decatur, IL 62523
Phone: (217) 424-1323
Fingerprint-based checks require that the requestor contact the Sheriff's office to schedule a fingerprinting appointment. This service costs $15 per record. Requests for incident reports and police reports may also be made using the FOIA form to the records department. The requestor will be required to provide a brief description of the incident including the date and place of the occurrence and the case number (if known).
How to Find Sex Offender Information
All information regarding sex offenders resident in Macon County is published on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry managed by the state police. County residents may view offender addresses, compliance status, and criminal history by searching the registry using offender names, zip codes, offense types and various locations within the county. The registry also features maps and will include details of licensed transitional housing facilities (if available).
All offender-related information unavailable on the registry may be requested from the toll fee I-SORT hotline at 888-41-ISORT (888) 414-7678.
Macon County Jail Information
The Corrections Unit of the Macon County Sheriff's Office manages the county jail which houses incarcerated persons within county limits and is located at:
333 S. Franklin St.
Decatur, IL 62523
All information regarding the facility may be found on the Corrections Page or accessed by contacting the corrections division at (217) 424-1341.
Intending visitors are required to schedule on-site or online visits using the tool linked on the corrections page. As per stated guidelines, each visitor must be named on the inmate visitation list to be eligible for a visit, and adult visitors will be required to present a valid photo ID upon arriving at the facility.
Where and How to Find Inmate Information
The Mason County Inmate Inquiry Tool allows interested persons to view relevant public information regarding current and past detainees in the county detention center. Using the tool, inmates can be searched by name or booking date and subject number. All inmate-specific information including primary charges, offense date, bail or bond conditions, and pending court dates can be found on the index. However, general detainee-related information such as inmate welfare and commissary, inmate mail, phone, and visitation dates/schedules can be viewed on the jail information corrections Page.
Court Records
Where and How to Get Court Records
The Macon County Circuit Court Clerk performs a variety of administrative functions for the county courts including maintaining and disseminating records of court cases heard within its jurisdiction. As per state laws, court filings and related documents are public records unless otherwise ruled by a law court.
To obtain a court record interested persons may query the Circuit Clerk's Office in person or via mail. Requesters will be required to provide details of the court record being requested such as the names of the parties involved, the date of the filing and the case file number of the record (if known). Court record requests may be made to:
Macon County Circuit Court Clerk
253 East Wood Street
Decatur, IL62523
Phone: (217) 425-7098
Fax: (217) 425-9292
Location of all Courts in the County
Listed below are the addresses and contact information of all the courthouses in Macon County, Illinois:
Macon County Circuit Court
Macon County Courthouse
253 East Wood Street,
Decatur, IL 62523
Phone: (217) 425-7098
Fax: (217) 424-1350
Decatur Administrative Court
1 Gary K. Anderson Plaza,
Decatur, IL 62523
Phone: (217) 424-2807
Where and how to get Property Records
The Macon County Recorder of Deeds Office is charged with recording and maintaining documents and instruments pertaining to real property and land ownership. This includes deeds, plats, mortgages, liens and a variety of others.
County residents may obtain these records by requesting them in person or via mail and requestors may also perform online searches on the Recorders Computer Index by grantor/grantee name.
In-person and mail property requests may be made to:
Macon County Recorder's Office
141 South Main Street,
Room 201
Decatur, IL 62523
Phone: (217) 424-1359
Fax: (217) 428-2908
Vital Records
The Illinois Department of Public Health serves as the central repository of records vital events that occurred in the state which includes Macon county. The department provides copies of these records to interested and eligible persons in compliance with state laws. At the county level, this service is primarily provided by the Macon County Clerk's Office which maintains birth, death and marriage records of the county. Records of divorces that occurred in Macon are maintained by the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. Essentially, Macon county divorce records can be obtained at both state and county levels.
Where and How to Get Divorce Records
Records of divorces granted by the Macon County Circuit Court are maintained and disseminated by the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. These records can be obtained by querying the office in person or by sending a written request to the office. Requestors will be required to provide relevant details of the divorce including the date of filing, the names of both former spouses and the case file number of the record. The requesting party may also be charged a standard copy fee plus an additional certification fee if this is required. Divorce requests may be made to:
Macon County Circuit Court Clerk
253 East Wood Street
Decatur, IL62523
Phone: (217) 425-7098
Fax: (217) 425-9292
Where and How to get Marriage Records, Birth Records and Death Records
The Macon County Clerk's Office maintains and issues records of births and deaths which occurred within county limits, as well as records of marriages that were licensed by its office.
While birth and death records are only available to persons who can prove reasonable interest in the record, marriage certificates are public records, and available to interested members of the public.
To be eligible to obtain a birth or death record the requesting party must be either named on the record or be directly related to the named person. These records may also be accessed by legal representatives of the subject and representative of eligible persons, as well as persons who are authorized by a judicial order or subpoena.
Vital record requests may be made by making in-person or mail queries to the clerk's office.
For birth or death records, the requestor may download and complete the Birth Record Request Form or Death Record Request Form. For marriage records, the requesting party must prepare a written request stating the names of the spouses, the date and place of the marriage and the marriage license number (if known). The request must then be submitted along with a payment of $23 for birth and marriage certificate and $27 for death certificates. This should also be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope (for mail requests). Completed applications must then be sent to:
Macon County Clerk
141 S. Main St.,
Room 104
Decatur, IL 62523
(217) 424-1305
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
