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 on September 24, 2026.
Dickinson County, Iowa, has about 18,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Dickinson County depends on where the incident happened: the Dickinson 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: Dickinson County public records, Dickinson County arrest records, Dickinson County warrants, Dickinson County criminal records, Dickinson County court records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Dickinson 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 Dickinson County that is the Dickinson 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 Dickinson County Sheriff's Office
The Dickinson County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 6 violent and 19 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 47 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Dickinson County
The two cities the FBI lists in Dickinson County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Spirit Lake: 9 violent and 64 property crimes reported for 2025; 131 arrests reported for 2025. The Spirit Lake police department's page is at cityofspiritlake.org/services/police-department, phone 712-336-5776 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Arnolds Park: 1,163 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: Dickinson County in 2025
The two agencies in Dickinson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 15 violent and 83 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Dickinson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,341 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, 712-336-6333, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Dickinson County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Dickinson 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 Dickinson 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 Dickinson 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 Dickinson 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.