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.
Fayette County, Iowa, has about 19,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Fayette County depends on where the incident happened: the Fayette 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: Fayette County public records, Fayette County arrest records, Fayette County warrants, Fayette County criminal records, Fayette County court records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Fayette 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 Fayette County that is the Fayette 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 Sumner Police Department and the Fairbank Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Fayette County, so their arrests are not broken out for Fayette County here.
Reports from the Fayette County Sheriff's Office
The Fayette County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 13 violent and 6 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 464 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Fayette County
The two cities the FBI lists in Fayette County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Oelwein: 17 violent and 47 property crimes reported for 2025; 225 arrests reported for 2025. The Oelwein police department's page is at cityofoelwein.org/directory-listing/police-department, phone 319-283-4311 (verified September 26, 2026).
- West Union.
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: Fayette County in 2025
The two agencies in Fayette County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 30 violent and 53 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Fayette County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 689 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, 319-283-1211, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Fayette County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Fayette 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 Fayette 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 Fayette 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 Fayette 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.