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 October 4, 2026.
Franklin County, Illinois, has about 37,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Franklin County depends on where the incident happened: the Franklin 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: Franklin County public records, Franklin County arrest records, Franklin County warrants, Franklin County inmate search, Franklin County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Franklin 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 Franklin County that is the Franklin 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 Franklin County Sheriff's Office
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 23 violent and 88 property crimes reported for 2024 and reported 313 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (618) 438-4841. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at franklincountyil.gov/sheriff (page title: Sheriff | Franklin County), phone (618) 438-4841, 403 East Main Street, Benton, IL 62812, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 4, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Franklin County
The seven cities the FBI lists in Franklin County with a reporting agency of their own:
- West Frankfort.
- Benton: 0 arrests reported for 2020.
- Christopher: 3 violent and 86 property crimes reported for 2024; 29 arrests reported for 2024.
- Sesser: 2 violent and 1 property crimes reported for 2024; 23 arrests reported for 2024.
- Zeigler: 1,152 arrests reported for 2025.
- Royalton: 0 arrests reported for 2020.
- West City: 1 violent and 84 property crimes reported for 2024; 69 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: Franklin County in 2024
The four agencies in Franklin County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 29 violent and 259 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the five agencies in Franklin County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 1,463 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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State's Attorney, (618) 439-4316, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Franklin County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (618) 438-4841. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with one 5-day extension.
Is this the official Franklin 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.