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 on September 23, 2026.
Stephenson County, Illinois, has about 43,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Stephenson County depends on where the incident happened: the Stephenson 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: Stephenson County public records, Stephenson County arrest records, Stephenson County warrants, Stephenson County inmate search, Stephenson County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Stephenson 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 Stephenson County that is the Stephenson 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 the Freeport Park District (other agency), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office
The Stephenson County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 5 violent and 79 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 310 arrests for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 815-235-8254. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at stephensoncountyil.gov/government/sheriff_s_office/jail_inmate_info... (page title: Stephenson County, IL), phone 815-235-8254, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Stephenson County
The three cities the FBI lists in Stephenson County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Freeport: 58 violent and 258 property crimes reported for 2025; 1,164 arrests reported for 2025. The Freeport police department's page is at cityoffreeport.org/directory2/police-department, phone 815-235-8222 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Lena: 1,152 arrests reported for 2025.
- German Valley: 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: Stephenson County in 2025
The two agencies in Stephenson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 63 violent and 337 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Stephenson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,468 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
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, 815-235-8279, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Stephenson County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Stephenson 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 Stephenson 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 Stephenson County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 815-235-8254. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with one 5-day extension.
Is this the official Stephenson 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.