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 September 30, 2026.
Southside, Alabama, in Etowah County, has about 9,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Southside 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: Southside public records, Etowah County police reports, Southside arrest records, Southside warrants, Southside criminal records, Southside court records, Alabama arrest records and Alabama inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Southside
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 Southside that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Southside Police Department); outside it, the Etowah County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also carries Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit (other agency), with a records office of its own.
The Boaz Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Etowah County, so its arrests are not broken out for Etowah County here.
Reports from the Southside Police
For Southside, SearchSystems opened and checked the Southside police department's page at cityofsouthside.com/public-safety/police (page title: Police | City of Southside), phone 256-442-2312, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Southside had 3 violent and 36 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 53 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Etowah County Sheriff's Office
The Etowah County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 15 violent and 72 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 121 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
What the Alabama Public Records Law Requires
Under the Alabama Public Records Law the agency must answer a request within a reasonable time; the statute sets no fixed deadline, and it may charge a reasonable fee for copies. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at etowah.alacourt.gov/record-request-and-copies (page title: Etowah County | Sixteenth Circuit Court of Alabama).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Southside?
From the agency that took it. The Southside police department's page is at cityofsouthside.com/public-safety/police, phone 256-442-2312; the sheriff's reports come from the Etowah County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Southside 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 Etowah 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 Southside 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.