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 24, 2026 and September 26, 2026.
Spirit Lake, Iowa, in Dickinson County, has about 5,500 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Spirit Lake 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: Spirit Lake public records, Dickinson County police reports, Spirit Lake arrest records, Spirit Lake warrants, Spirit Lake criminal records, Spirit Lake court records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Spirit Lake
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 Spirit Lake that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Spirit Lake Police Department); outside it, the Dickinson County Sheriff's Office.
Reports from the Spirit Lake Police
For Spirit Lake, SearchSystems opened and checked the Spirit Lake police department's page at cityofspiritlake.org/services/police-department (page title: Police Department | City of Spirit Lake Iowa), phone 712-336-5776, 1607 Ithaca Avenue Spirit Lake, IA 51360, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Spirit Lake had 9 violent and 64 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 131 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Dickinson County Sheriff's Office
The Dickinson County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 6 violent and 19 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 47 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, 712-336-6333, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Spirit Lake?
From the agency that took it. The Spirit Lake police department's page is at cityofspiritlake.org, phone 712-336-5776; the sheriff's reports come from the Dickinson County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Spirit Lake 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 Dickinson 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 Spirit Lake 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.