Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and October 4, 2026.
Decatur County, Iowa, has about 7,700 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Decatur County depends on where the incident happened: the Decatur 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, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Decatur County public records, Decatur County arrest records, Decatur County warrants, Decatur County inmate search, Decatur County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Decatur 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 Decatur County that is the Decatur 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 Decatur County Sheriff's Office
The Decatur County Sheriff's Office is the county agency.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at decaturcountyiowa.gov/news/2588 (page title: The Sheriff's Office has moved! | - Decatur County, IA), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Reports from the City Agencies in Decatur County
The one city the FBI lists in Decatur County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Leon.
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.
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 Decatur County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Decatur 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 Decatur 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 Decatur 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 Decatur 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.