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 1, 2026.
DeSoto County, Florida, has about 37,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from DeSoto County depends on where the incident happened: the Desoto 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 Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) 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: DeSoto County public records, DeSoto County arrest records, DeSoto County warrants, DeSoto County inmate search, DeSoto County criminal records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from DeSoto County
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.
In DeSoto County that is the Desoto 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.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol in DeSoto County in DeSoto County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's agency list also places five state agencies in DeSoto County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Desoto County Sheriff's Office
The Desoto County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 80 violent and 290 property crimes reported for 2024 and reported 941 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 863-993-4710. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at desotosheriff.com/bureaus/detention_bureau_jail/jail_roster.php (page title: Welcome to Desoto County Sheriff, FL), phone 863-993-4710, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in DeSoto County
The one city the FBI lists in DeSoto County with a reporting agency of its own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Arcadia: 41 violent and 110 property crimes reported for 2024; 336 arrests reported for 2024. The Arcadia police department's page is at arcadia-fl.gov/departments/police, phone 863-494-4114 (verified September 26, 2026).
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: DeSoto County in 2024
The two agencies in DeSoto County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 121 violent and 400 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in DeSoto County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 1,445 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) Requires
Under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) the agency must answer a request promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days, and it may charge the copy fees set by statute, plus a special service charge for large requests. 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 desotoclerk.com/clerk-services/public-records-request (page title: Public Records Request).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in DeSoto County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Desoto County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) the answer is due promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days.
How long does an agency in DeSoto County have to answer?
Under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119), promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days. It may charge the copy fees set by statute, plus a special service charge for large requests.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in DeSoto County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol in DeSoto County in DeSoto County.
How do I get a report from the Desoto County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 863-993-4710. Under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) the answer is due promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days.
Is this the official DeSoto 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.