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.
Black Hawk County, Iowa, has about 132,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Black Hawk County depends on where the incident happened: the Black Hawk 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 Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) 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: Black Hawk County public records, Black Hawk County arrest records, Black Hawk County warrants, Black Hawk County inmate search, Black Hawk County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County that is the Black Hawk 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 carries the University of Northern Iowa (campus police), with a records office of its own.
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.
Reports from the City Agencies in Black Hawk County
The three cities the FBI lists in Black Hawk County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Waterloo: 319 violent and 1,733 property crimes reported for 2025; 2,985 arrests reported for 2025. The Waterloo police records page is at waterloopolice.com/information/reports, phone 319-291-2515 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Cedar Falls: 56 violent and 471 property crimes reported for 2025; 616 arrests reported for 2025.
- Evansdale: 7 violent and 76 property crimes reported for 2025; 264 arrests reported for 2025.
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: Black Hawk County in 2025
The four agencies in Black Hawk County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 388 violent and 2,322 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the four agencies in Black Hawk County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,328 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) Requires
Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) the agency must answer a request without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified, and it may charge the actual cost of copying and retrieval. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
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 Black Hawk County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. 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.
How long does an agency in Black Hawk County 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 Black Hawk 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.