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 26, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Council Bluffs, Iowa, in Pottawattamie County, has about 63,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Council Bluffs depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) 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: Council Bluffs public records, Pottawattamie County police reports, Council Bluffs arrest records, Council Bluffs warrants, Council Bluffs inmate search, Council Bluffs criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Council Bluffs
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 Council Bluffs that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Council Bluffs Police Department); outside it, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also carries the Union Pacific Railroad Police (other agency), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Council Bluffs Police
For Council Bluffs, SearchSystems opened and checked the Council Bluffs police records page at councilbluffs-ia.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9194/Investigative-File-Re... (page title: CBPD INVESTIGATIVE REQUEST FORM Council Bluffs Police Department), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Council Bluffs had 329 violent and 1,397 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,696 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office
The Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 33 violent and 140 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 483 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at sheriff.pottcounty-ia.gov/jail (page title: Pottawattamie County Jail Division | Council Bluffs, Iowa), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
What the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) Requires
The Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) sets the rules: an answer without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified, at a charge of the actual cost of copying and retrieval, from the agency that holds the report.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Council Bluffs?
From the agency that took it. The Council Bluffs police records page is at councilbluffs-ia.gov; the sheriff's reports come from the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Council Bluffs have to answer?
Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22), without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified. It may charge the actual cost of copying and retrieval.
How do I get a report from the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) the answer is due without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified.
Is this the official Council Bluffs 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.