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 23, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Chico, California, in Butte County, has about 103,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Chico depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the California Public Records Act 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: Chico public records, Butte County police reports, Chico arrest records, Chico warrants, Chico inmate search, Chico criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Chico
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
Inside Chico that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Chico Police Department); outside it, the Butte County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's agency list also places two state agencies, one other agency and one campus police department in Butte County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Chico Police
For Chico, SearchSystems opened and checked the Chico police records page at chicoca.gov/documents/City-Services/Public-Safety/Police-Department... (page title: CHICO POLICE DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR RECORDS), phone (530) 895-4911, 1460 Humboldt Rd Chico, CA 95928, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Chico had 683 violent and 1,894 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,459 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Butte County Sheriff's Office
The Butte County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 249 violent and 508 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,289 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at buttecounty.net/1723/BCSO-Booking-Logs (page title: BCSO Booking Logs | Butte County, CA), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 429), so open it in a browser.
What the California Public Records Act Requires
The California Public Records Act sets the rules: an answer within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances, at a charge of the direct cost of copying only, not staff time, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at buttecounty.govqa.us/WEBAPP/_rs/(S(ferqnzodzx441polcrxxomxw))/Suppo... (page title: Butte County, CA | Public Records Center).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Chico?
From the agency that took it. The Chico police records page is at chicoca.gov, phone (530) 895-4911; the sheriff's reports come from the Butte County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Chico have to answer?
Under the California Public Records Act, within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances. It may charge the direct cost of copying only, not staff time.
How do I get a report from the Butte County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the California Public Records Act the answer is due within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances.
Is this the official Chico 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.