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 2, 2026.
Coles County, Illinois, has about 46,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Coles County depends on where the incident happened: the Coles 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: Coles County public records, Coles County arrest records, Coles County warrants, Coles County inmate search, Coles County property records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Coles 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 Coles County that is the Coles 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 FBI's list also carries Eastern Illinois University and Lake Land College (campus police), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Coles County Sheriff's Office
The Coles County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 22 violent and 73 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 45 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (217) 348-7332. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at colesco.illinois.gov/sheriff/corrections (page title: Corrections), phone (217) 348-7332, Tuesday 9:00AM - 11:00AM, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 2, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Coles County
The two cities the FBI lists in Coles County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Charleston: 44 violent and 278 property crimes reported for 2025; 295 arrests reported for 2025.
- Mattoon: 75 violent and 199 property crimes reported for 2025; 588 arrests reported for 2025. The Mattoon police department's page is at mattoon.illinois.gov/government/police-department, phone 217-235-5451 (verified September 25, 2026).
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: Coles County in 2025
The three agencies in Coles County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 141 violent and 550 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Coles County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 928 arrests to the FBI that year, 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.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at colesco.illinois.gov/foia (page title: Coles County | FOIA).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State's Attorney, (217) 348-0561, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Coles County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Coles 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 Coles 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 Coles County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (217) 348-7332. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with one 5-day extension.
Is this the official Coles 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.