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 October 2, 2026.
Lee County, Iowa, has about 32,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Lee County depends on where the incident happened: the Lee 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: Lee County public records, Lee County arrest records, Lee County warrants, Lee County criminal records, Lee County court records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Lee County
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
In Lee County that is the Lee 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 Lee County Sheriff's Office
The Lee County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 5 violent and 41 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 213 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Lee County
The three cities the FBI lists in Lee County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Fort Madison: 32 violent and 177 property crimes reported for 2025; 313 arrests reported for 2025.
- Keokuk: 25 violent and 120 property crimes reported for 2025; 544 arrests reported for 2025.
- Donnellson: 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: Lee County in 2025
The three agencies in Lee County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 62 violent and 338 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the four agencies in Lee County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,233 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Lee County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Lee 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 Lee 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 Lee 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 Lee 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.