Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Birmingham, Alabama, in Jefferson County, has about 196,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Birmingham depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Alabama Public Records Law requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Birmingham public records, Jefferson County police reports, Birmingham arrest records, Birmingham warrants, Birmingham inmate search, Birmingham criminal records, Alabama arrest records and Alabama inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Birmingham
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
Inside Birmingham that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Birmingham Police Department); outside it, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's agency list also places five campus police departments, one state agency and two other agencies in Jefferson County, each with a records office of its own.
The Helena Police Department, the Sumiton Police Department, the Argo Police Department and one more are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Jefferson County, so their arrests are not broken out for Jefferson County here.
Reports from the Birmingham Police
For Birmingham, SearchSystems opened and checked the Birmingham police records page at birminghamal.gov/government/city-departments/birmingham-police-depa... (page title: Records Division | City of Birmingham, Alabama), phone (205) 254-6308, Monday-Friday, 8am - 4:30pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Birmingham had 2,420 violent and 8,726 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 3,115 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 549 violent and 2,236 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,438 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at sheriff.jccal.org/NewWorld.InmateInquiry/AL0010000 (page title: Inmate Search), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
What the Alabama Public Records Law Requires
The Alabama Public Records Law sets the rules: an answer within a reasonable time; the statute sets no fixed deadline, at a charge of a reasonable fee for copies, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at jeffersoncounty.nextrequest.com (page title: Public Record RequestsNextRequest | Modern FOIA & Public Records Request Software).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney, 205-325-5252, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Birmingham?
From the agency that took it. The Birmingham police records page is at birminghamal.gov, phone (205) 254-6308; the sheriff's reports come from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Birmingham have to answer?
Under the Alabama Public Records Law, within a reasonable time; the statute sets no fixed deadline. It may charge a reasonable fee for copies.
How do I get a report from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Alabama Public Records Law the answer is due within a reasonable time; the statute sets no fixed deadline.
Is this the official Birmingham website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.