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 2, 2026.
Knox County, Illinois, has about 49,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Knox County depends on where the incident happened: the Knox 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: Knox County public records, Knox County arrest records, Knox County warrants, Knox County inmate search, Knox County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Knox 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 Knox County that is the Knox 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 Knox County Sheriff's Office
The Knox County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 35 violent and 109 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 472 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 888-868-4631. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at knoxsheriff.org (page title: Knox County Sheriff's Office), phone 888-868-4631, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 28, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Knox County
The four cities the FBI lists in Knox County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Galesburg: 132 violent and 889 property crimes reported for 2025; 1,452 arrests reported for 2025. The Galesburg police department's page is at ci.galesburg.il.us/government/police/divisions/staff_and_services.php (verified September 25, 2026).
- Knoxville: 3 violent and 12 property crimes reported for 2025; 40 arrests reported for 2025.
- Yates City: 0 arrests reported for 2020.
- Williamsfield: 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: Knox County in 2025
The three agencies in Knox County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 170 violent and 1,010 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the four agencies in Knox County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,116 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Knox County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 888-868-4631. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with one 5-day extension.
Is this the official Knox 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.