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 4, 2026.
Calhoun County, Iowa, has about 9,700 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Calhoun County depends on where the incident happened: the Calhoun 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: Calhoun County public records, Calhoun County arrest records, Calhoun County warrants, Calhoun County inmate search, Calhoun County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Calhoun 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 Calhoun County that is the Calhoun 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 Calhoun County Sheriff's Office
The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 16 arrests for 2020.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (712) 297-7583. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at calhouncounty.iowa.gov/county_offices/sheriff.php (page title: Welcome to Calhoun County, IA), phone (712) 297-7583, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 4, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Calhoun County
The two cities the FBI lists in Calhoun County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Rockwell City.
- Lake City: 1 violent and 7 property crimes reported for 2024; 5 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: Calhoun County in 2024
The one agency in Calhoun County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 1 violent and 7 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Lake City reported 22 arrests to the FBI for 2024, and each arrest is a report of its own.
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) 297-7829, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Calhoun County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Calhoun 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 Calhoun 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 Calhoun County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (712) 297-7583. 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 Calhoun 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.