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 30, 2026.
Waterloo, Iowa, in Black Hawk County, has about 67,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Waterloo 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: Waterloo public records, Black Hawk County police reports, Waterloo arrest records, Waterloo warrants, Waterloo inmate search, Waterloo criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Waterloo
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 Waterloo that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Waterloo Police Department); outside it, the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also carries the University of Northern Iowa (campus police), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Waterloo Police
For Waterloo, SearchSystems opened and checked the Waterloo police records page at waterloopolice.com/information/reports (page title: WPD Reports | Accident Logs, Arrest Records, Crime Stats | Waterloo Police), phone 319-291-2515, Monday - Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Waterloo had 319 violent and 1,733 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,985 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office
The Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 6 violent and 42 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 463 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at bhcso.org/whos-in-jail (page title: Who's In Jail | Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
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, 319-833-3001, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Waterloo?
From the agency that took it. The Waterloo police records page is at waterloopolice.com/information/reports, phone 319-291-2515; the sheriff's reports come from the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Waterloo 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 Black Hawk 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 Waterloo 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.