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 3, 2026.
Winnebago County, Iowa, has about 10,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Winnebago County depends on where the incident happened: the Winnebago 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: Winnebago County public records, Winnebago County arrest records, Winnebago County warrants, Winnebago County inmate search, Winnebago County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Winnebago 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 Winnebago County that is the Winnebago 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 Winnebago County Sheriff's Office
The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office is the county agency.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at inmates.winnebagosheriff.com (page title: Winnebago County Sheriff's Office -- Inmate Inquiry), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Winnebago County
The one city the FBI lists in Winnebago County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Forest City: 5 violent and 16 property crimes reported for 2025; 77 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: Winnebago County in 2025
The one agency in Winnebago County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 5 violent and 16 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Forest City reported 77 arrests to the FBI for 2025, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) Requires
The Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) sets the rules: an answer without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified, at a charge of the actual cost of copying and retrieval, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, 641-585-0020, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Winnebago County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Winnebago 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 Winnebago 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 Winnebago 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 Winnebago 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.