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 23, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Alexander County, Illinois, has about 4,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Alexander County depends on where the incident happened: the Alexander 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 Illinois Freedom of Information Act 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: Alexander County public records, Alexander County arrest records, Alexander County warrants, Alexander County criminal records, Alexander County court records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Alexander 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 Alexander County that is the Alexander 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 Alexander County Sheriff's Office
The Alexander County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2023 and reported 90 arrests for 2023.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Alexander County
The one city the FBI lists in Alexander County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Cairo: 1,152 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: Alexander County in 2023
The one agency in Alexander County with all twelve months of 2023 on file reported 0 violent and 0 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Cairo reported 1,152 arrests to the FBI for 2025, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Illinois Freedom of Information Act Requires
Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act the agency must answer a request within 5 business days, with one 5-day extension, and it may charge copying only after the first 50 pages. 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 State's Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Alexander County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Alexander County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with one 5-day extension.
How long does an agency in Alexander County have to answer?
Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, within 5 business days, with one 5-day extension. It may charge copying only after the first 50 pages.
How do I get a report from the Alexander County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with one 5-day extension.
Is this the official Alexander 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.