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.
Des Moines County, Iowa, has about 38,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Des Moines County depends on where the incident happened: the Des Moines 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: Des Moines County public records, Des Moines County arrest records, Des Moines County warrants, Des Moines County inmate search, Des Moines County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Des Moines 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 Des Moines County that is the Des Moines 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 Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force Burlington (other agency), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Des Moines County Sheriff's Office
The Des Moines County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 10 violent and 48 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 546 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 319-753-8212. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at desmoinescounty.iowa.gov/sheriff (page title: Sheriff | Des Moines County Government | Iowa), phone 319-753-8212, 512 N. Main St. Burlington, IA 52601, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Des Moines County
The two cities the FBI lists in Des Moines County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Burlington: 62 violent and 308 property crimes reported for 2025; 843 arrests reported for 2025.
- West Burlington: 5 violent and 259 property crimes reported for 2025; 333 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: Des Moines County in 2025
The three agencies in Des Moines County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 77 violent and 615 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Des Moines County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,722 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.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/public-records-requests (page title: Public Records Requests | Iowa Judicial Branch).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, 319-753-8209, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Des Moines County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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 Des Moines County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 319-753-8212. 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 Des Moines 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.