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.
Elkhart County, Indiana, has about 207,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Elkhart County depends on where the incident happened: the Elkhart 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: Elkhart County public records, Elkhart County arrest records, Elkhart County warrants, Elkhart County inmate search, Elkhart County criminal records, Indiana arrest records and Indiana inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Elkhart 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 Elkhart County that is the Elkhart 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 Elkhart County Sheriff's Office
The Elkhart County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 143 violent and 634 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,791 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at sheriff.elkhartcounty.com/en/divisions/corrections-resources (page title: Corrections | Elkhart County Sheriff's Office), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Reports from the City Agencies in Elkhart County
The four cities the FBI lists in Elkhart County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Elkhart: 1,338 arrests reported for 2025.
- Goshen: 55 violent and 669 property crimes reported for 2025; 1,015 arrests reported for 2025. The Goshen police department's page is at goshen.in.gov/government/departments/police/police-faqs (verified September 25, 2026).
- Nappanee: 10 violent and 27 property crimes reported for 2025; 196 arrests reported for 2025. The Nappanee police department's page is at nappanee.in.gov/government/departments/police-department/department... (verified September 26, 2026).
- Bristol: 5 violent and 48 property crimes reported for 2025; 238 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: Elkhart County in 2025
The four agencies in Elkhart County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 213 violent and 1,378 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the five agencies in Elkhart County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,578 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Indiana Access to Public Records Act Requires
Under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act the agency must answer a request within 24 hours for a request made in person and 7 days for one sent by mail or email, and it may charge a copy fee set by the agency, within statutory limits. 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 Elkhart County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Elkhart 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 Elkhart 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 Elkhart County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. 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 Elkhart 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.