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 9, 2026.
Sarasota County, Florida, has about 477,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Sarasota County depends on where the incident happened: the Sarasota 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: Sarasota County public records, Sarasota County arrest records, Sarasota County warrants, Sarasota County inmate search, Sarasota County criminal records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Sarasota 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 Sarasota County that is the Sarasota 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 Sarasota County in Sarasota 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, two other agencies and one campus police department in Sarasota County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 365 violent and 2,984 property crimes reported for 2024 and reported 5,260 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 941.861.4601. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at sarasotasheriff.org/corrections/jail_booking/index.php (page title: Welcome to Sarasota County Sheriff's, FL), phone 941.861.4601, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Sarasota County
The four cities the FBI lists in Sarasota County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- North Port. The North Port police records page is at northportfl.gov/City-Services-and-Safety/Emergency-Services/Police/..., phone (941) 429-7300 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Sarasota: 336 violent and 964 property crimes reported for 2024; 2,653 arrests reported for 2025.
- Venice.
- Longboat Key: 0 violent and 31 property crimes reported for 2024; 299 arrests reported for 2024.
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: Sarasota County in 2024
The three agencies in Sarasota County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 701 violent and 3,979 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Sarasota County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 9,095 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) Requires
The Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) sets the rules: an answer promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days, at a charge of the copy fees set by statute, plus a special service charge for large requests, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at sarasotataxcollector.gov/PublicRecordRequest (page title: Public Record Request | Sarasota Tax Collector).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State Attorney, (941) 861-4400, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Sarasota County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol in Sarasota County in Sarasota County.
How do I get a report from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 941.861.4601. 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 Sarasota 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.