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 30, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
O'Brien County, Iowa, has about 14,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from O'Brien County depends on where the incident happened: the O'Brien 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: O'Brien County public records, O'Brien County arrest records, O'Brien County warrants, O'Brien County inmate search, O'Brien County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from O'Brien 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 O'Brien County that is the O'Brien 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 O'Brien County Sheriff's Office
The O'Brien County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 17 violent and 38 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 151 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (712) 757-3415. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at obriencountysheriff.com (page title: O'Brien County Sheriff), phone (712) 757-3415, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in O'Brien County
The one city the FBI lists in O'Brien County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Sheldon: 18 violent and 19 property crimes reported for 2025; 177 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: O'Brien County in 2025
The two agencies in O'Brien County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 35 violent and 57 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in O'Brien County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 328 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 ia.iowadot.gov/openrecords (page title: Open Records Request | FOIA).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, 712-957-3375, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in O'Brien County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the O'Brien 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 O'Brien 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 O'Brien County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (712) 757-3415. 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 O'Brien 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.