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 October 1, 2026.
Butler County, Iowa, has about 14,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Butler County depends on where the incident happened: the Butler 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: Butler County public records, Butler County arrest records, Butler County warrants, Butler County inmate search, Butler County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Butler County
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.
In Butler County that is the Butler 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.
Reports from the Butler County Sheriff's Office
The Butler County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 7 violent and 25 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 54 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at butlersheriff.org/jail-facilities (page title: Jail Facilities | Butler County Sheriff’s Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Butler County
The one city the FBI lists in Butler County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Parkersburg.
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: Butler County in 2025
The one agency in Butler County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 7 violent and 25 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
The Butler County Sheriff's Office reported 54 arrests to the FBI for 2025, 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Butler County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Butler 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 Butler 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 Butler 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 Butler 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.