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 on September 24, 2026.
Van Buren County, Arkansas, has about 16,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Van Buren County depends on where the incident happened: the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Van Buren County public records, Van Buren County arrest records, Van Buren County warrants, Van Buren County criminal records, Van Buren County court records, Arkansas arrest records and Arkansas inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Van Buren County
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.
In Van Buren County that is the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
Reports from the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office
The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 108 violent and 133 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 226 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Van Buren County
The three cities the FBI lists in Van Buren County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Clinton: 5 violent and 42 property crimes reported for 2025; 76 arrests reported for 2025.
- Fairfield Bay: 5 violent and 26 property crimes reported for 2025; 80 arrests reported for 2025.
- Damascus: 1 violent and 1 property crimes reported for 2025; 1 arrests reported for 2025.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
How Many Reports: Van Buren County in 2025
The four agencies in Van Buren County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 119 violent and 202 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the four agencies in Van Buren County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 383 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act Requires
The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act sets the rules: an answer within 3 working days when the record is not immediately available, at a charge of the actual cost of copying, from the agency that holds the report.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Van Buren County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 3 working days when the record is not immediately available.
How long does an agency in Van Buren County have to answer?
Under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, within 3 working days when the record is not immediately available. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
How do I get a report from the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 3 working days when the record is not immediately available.
Is this the official Van Buren County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.