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 September 30, 2026.
Bartholomew County, Indiana, has about 85,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Bartholomew County depends on where the incident happened: the Bartholomew 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 Indiana Access to Public Records 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: Bartholomew County public records, Bartholomew County arrest records, Bartholomew County warrants, Bartholomew County inmate search, Bartholomew County criminal records, Indiana arrest records and Indiana inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Bartholomew 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 Bartholomew County that is the Bartholomew 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 Indiana University at Columbus (campus police), with a records office of its own.
The Edinburgh Police Department is listed by the FBI across three counties including Bartholomew County, so its arrests are not broken out for Bartholomew County here.
Reports from the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office
The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 21 violent and 158 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 997 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 812-379-1750. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at bartholomew.in.gov/sheriff.html (page title: Sheriff), phone 812-379-1750, Monday - Friday between the hours of 8 AM - 5 PM., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Bartholomew County
The one city the FBI lists in Bartholomew County with a reporting agency of its own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Columbus: 46 violent and 643 property crimes reported for 2025; 1,452 arrests reported for 2025. The Columbus police records page is at columbus.in.gov/police/divisions/records, phone 877-472-6917 (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: Bartholomew County in 2025
The two agencies in Bartholomew County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 67 violent and 801 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Bartholomew County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,449 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Indiana Access to Public Records Act Requires
The Indiana Access to Public Records Act sets the rules: an answer within 24 hours for a request made in person and 7 days for one sent by mail or email, at a charge of a copy fee set by the agency, within statutory limits, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at bartholomew.in.gov/how-do-i-search-landing/faq/21-how-do-i-request-... (page title: How do I request public records?).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Bartholomew County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act the answer is due within 24 hours for a request made in person and 7 days for one sent by mail or email.
How long does an agency in Bartholomew County have to answer?
Under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act, within 24 hours for a request made in person and 7 days for one sent by mail or email. It may charge a copy fee set by the agency, within statutory limits.
How do I get a report from the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 812-379-1750. Under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act the answer is due within 24 hours for a request made in person and 7 days for one sent by mail or email.
Is this the official Bartholomew 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.