SearchSystems Editorial

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.

About this guide

Crawford County, Iowa, has about 16,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Crawford County depends on where the incident happened: the Crawford 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: Crawford County public records, Crawford County arrest records, Crawford County warrants, Crawford County inmate search, Crawford County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.

Which Agency Holds a Report from Crawford 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 Crawford County that is the Crawford 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 Crawford County Sheriff's Office

The Crawford County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 9 violent and 15 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 57 arrests for 2025.

Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at crawfordcountysheriff.org/inmates (page title: Inmates | Crawford County Sheriff), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.

Reports from the City Agencies in Crawford County

The one city the FBI lists in Crawford County with a reporting agency of its own:

  • Denison: 12 violent and 33 property crimes reported for 2025; 142 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: Crawford County in 2025

The two agencies in Crawford County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 21 violent and 48 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.

Together, the two agencies in Crawford County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 199 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, (712) 263-5601, handles discovery for pending cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a police report in Crawford County?

From the agency whose officer took it: the Crawford 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 Crawford 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 Crawford 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 Crawford 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.