Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest 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.
McDonough County, Illinois, has about 27,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from McDonough County depends on where the incident happened: the McDonough 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, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: McDonough County public records, McDonough County arrest records, McDonough County warrants, McDonough County inmate search, McDonough County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from McDonough 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 McDonough County that is the McDonough 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 Western Illinois University (campus police), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the McDonough County Sheriff's Office
The McDonough County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 0 arrests for 2020.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (217) 753-2372. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at ilsheriff.org/county/mcdonough (page title: McDonough County | Illinois Sheriffs' Association), phone (217) 753-2372, 110 South McArthur St., Macomb, IL 61455, a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Reports from the City Agencies in McDonough County
The four cities the FBI lists in McDonough County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Macomb: 89 arrests reported for 2024.
- Bushnell: 1,152 arrests reported for 2025.
- Colchester: 0 arrests reported for 2022.
- Blandinsville: 0 arrests reported for 2020.
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.
What the Illinois Freedom of Information Act Requires
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act sets the rules: an answer within 5 business days, with one 5-day extension, at a charge of copying only after the first 50 pages, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State's Attorney, (309)837-2309, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in McDonough County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the McDonough 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 McDonough 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 McDonough County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (217) 753-2372. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with one 5-day extension.
Is this the official McDonough 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.