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.
Palo Alto, California, in Santa Clara County, has about 68,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Palo Alto 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: Palo Alto public records, Santa Clara County police reports, Palo Alto arrest records, Palo Alto warrants, Palo Alto inmate search, Palo Alto criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Palo Alto
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 Palo Alto that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Palo Alto Police Department); outside it, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol's Hollister-Gilroy and San Jose Area Offices and the Highway Patrol at Gilroy Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility in Santa Clara County; a report taken on a state highway by one of them comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's agency list also places one state agency, three other agencies and four campus police departments in Santa Clara County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Palo Alto Police
For Palo Alto, SearchSystems opened and checked the Palo Alto police records page at paloalto.gov/Departments/Police/Public-Information-Portal/Request-P... (page title: Request Police Records | City of Palo Alto, CA), 250 Sherman Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Palo Alto had 107 violent and 1,945 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,369 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 223 violent and 1,364 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,752 arrests for 2023.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at sheriff.santaclaracounty.gov/home (page title: Office of the Sheriff | County of Santa Clara), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
What the California Public Records Act Requires
Under the California Public Records Act the agency must answer a request within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances, and it may charge the direct cost of copying only, not staff time. 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 santaclara.nextrequest.com (page title: Public RecordsNextRequest | Modern FOIA & Public Records Request Software).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Palo Alto?
From the agency that took it. The Palo Alto police records page is at paloalto.gov; the sheriff's reports come from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Palo Alto 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.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Palo Alto?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol's Hollister-Gilroy and San Jose Area Offices and the Highway Patrol at Gilroy Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility in Santa Clara County.
How do I get a report from the Santa Clara 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 Palo Alto 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.