Public records of arrests are available for members of the public to search, for protection of the public (it is good to know who did what in your area).

Public records also comply strictly with state laws which can remove certain crimes a certain period of time after the sentence has been served or if the offense has been expunged.

However companies like Arrest.org make a game of the publicity around arrests, and information which is designed for protection is seemingly only provided for entertainment value.

Their tag categories clearly show this, including terms such as ‘beat up,’ ‘wino,’ ‘hotties,’ ‘handicap,’ ‘celebrity,’ among others. Further, a clear statement in fine print that says, “The people featured on this site may not have been convicted of the charges or crimes listed and are presumed innocent until proven guilty”. Which will be of no help when you are being displayed on Arrest.org as a fraudster guilty or not.

Do not rely on this site to determine factual criminal records.

It seems rather like the site is preying on other people’s misfortune. Sadly that’s human nature, and their success proves that. The popularity also means the results, which are usually never flattering, rank well in Google’s search results.

Arrest.org no longer accepts payment for removal of their information, although you can try contacting them directly. Some paid removal services can be used to deal directly with arrest.org, for removing your information, which have reported some success.

These removal services are somewhat costly, I’ve seen one for $1500, and the drawback is that if the information is from public records, then it is most likely available elsewhere.

The best tactic against arrest.org is to prevent the arrest.org results showing up in search rankings on Google and other search engines. This can be achieved by building an online reputation that supersedes mug shot and arrest results.

To prevent results showing up, positive content needs to be created to replace the negative content, and a personal branding strategy built.

Controlling the First Page of Search

Most users don’t look past the first page of search results, so getting new content ranking for the first page that pushes unwanted content down to the second page is the prime strategy for removing adverse Google search results such as arrest.org.

Personal Website

A personal website with your name as the domain is one way of ensuring you can control information rankings related to your name. Domain name still ranks very high on search criteria, and if the domain contains lots of information about you, it will begin to rank in search terms that use your name. Along with filling your website with positive facts, it’s a good idea to create a counter page for the search term you don’t want ranking.

For example, a few short sentences on a less visible page, using the search term as a subdomain will likely show up alongside the arrest.org mug shot and comments link if these terms are searched directly. Explaining the details of your mistake yourself in a low-key way may be preferable to just the Arrest.org result.

Social Media Accounts

Social media is the next type of online content that ranks well in searching for a person’s name. Creating a social media presence for yourself can begin to cultivate favorable search rankings from a profile that you have created yourself. The more content you include in your social media profiles and the more regularly you post, the more likely you are to rank for the content in search.

When people are looking online to find out who you are, which is presumably why you’re looking to get arrest.org results removed, a social media account can tell them much more about you than tabloid sites like arrest.org, since it will show your voice, your interests, your methods of communication, and a full biography. Strong social media profiles can build an online presence, which while they may not guarantee removal of negative results from the front page, can certainly dilute their effect and overshadow their influence.

Remove any References You Can Control

There will be some search terms that you can remove yourself. Complete a full search of your name adding as many qualifiers as possible. Wherever it is possible to remove content yourself delete it. Where there are third parties involved, contact the owners and ask them if it is possible to have the information removed.

Contribute Online Resources in Your Field of Expertise

Large sites like Reddit, Quora, and Medium to name a few, are places that you can have opinions published which increase your online visibility in a controlled manner. High authority sites such as these rank well, so even if your story is read or not, it will show up in search easily. Medium.com is one of the easier sites to rank high in Google searches.

If you have can hire an expert in this, it helps, but if not, contribute helpful life hacks that everyone can enjoy, or tell about how you’ve overcome adversity (e.g., the arrest). People love stories about reform, and these stories share well, both from the perspective of overcoming difficulty, and since people identify with trauma, often either they or someone they know has been through similar events. Again it is sometimes better to have your story told your own way than someone read about it the wrong way.

Guest posts on large sites are also a good way to rank in search, but slightly harder as the content needs to be well written. You can always hire a professional to ‘Ghost Write’ for you.

Participate or Arrange Charitable Events

An excellent way to gain positive exposure is to join in on a charitable event or even create your own. Media coverage of charitable events is often easy to obtain. Shouting about a charitable event online is also preferable to just selling yourself. People don’t find philanthropic events spam since they help a cause. So push, push, push that charity event and watch the negative results be driven to page two, out of sight.

Those reviewing your profile will see that you are a giving person, one who enjoys contributing your time to help others. Connections made in charitable ventures can even lead to employment or business opportunities. As a bonus, you not only get coverage but the time spent does, in fact, help others, which not only feels great it is great.

Final Word On Removing Arrest.org Results

While it’s challenging to remove a mug shot or public record, creating a comprehensive favorable online profile will ensure that your negative arrest.org results are pushed down in rankings to a place where they are seldom found.