Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or location entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its response. We neither retain nor record those search terms on our systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
We retain an email or contact message long enough to respond and manage the exchange. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a visitor loads a page, the servers automatically receive basic technical and usage information:
- Page-view dates and times
- The referring website, when one is available
- Pages viewed and the time spent on them
- Device category and operating system
- Browser name and version
- The device's assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files saved on a device. We use them with analytics services to understand traffic in aggregate, such as which pages receive visits and where users leave. A browser can reject or remove cookies at any time, though disabling them may change how some site functions behave.
What We Do With This Data
- Routing search requests to the applicable outside service
- Maintaining site availability, speed, and security
- Finding and repairing errors or performance problems
- Understanding which resources visitors use
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
We do not keep, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal-record information. The published material explains where Benton County records are maintained and how people can approach the sheriff's administrative records function, Missouri courts, the Missouri State Highway Patrol CJIS Division Central Repository, and the Missouri Sex Offender Registry. We are not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Visitor data is not turned into consumer reports or third-party criminal profiles.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies provide the search boxes. Information submitted through a box is governed by that provider's privacy policy rather than this policy. Each provider controls its own retention, processing, and disclosure rules. Read those terms before sending a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to the Benton County Sheriff, Missouri court portals, state agencies, legal-aid resources, or outside search services. Once a visitor follows an external link, the destination's privacy terms control. Review them before providing personal information.
Some advertising providers may use their own systems to follow activity across websites and select interest-based advertising. We do not operate that cross-site tracking.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal data is not sold. Limited information may be available to:
- Analytics providers measuring traffic and performance
- Search partners processing a visitor's submitted query
- Advertising networks serving placements on the pages
- Government or law-enforcement bodies acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
We use customary safeguards for the information under our control. No internet service can guarantee perfect security, so we cannot promise that unauthorized access or a data breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If we learn that a minor supplied such data, we will delete it promptly.
Your Data Rights
Rights may differ by residence and applicable law. Missouri's Sunshine Law, Chapter 610 RSMo, governs access to government records, while RSMo §§43.503, 43.506, 610.100, and 610.120 address criminal-history reporting and access limits rather than creating a private-site consumer report. For information held by us, you may:
- Request deletion of personal information we retain
- Ask what personal information we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Object to certain forms of processing when applicable
Updates to This Policy
We may revise this policy as practices or legal requirements change. A revised version will appear here with its new effective date, so visitors should review the policy from time to time.
Effective date: July 30, 2026