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.
Jay County, Indiana, has about 20,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Jay County depends on where the incident happened: the Jay 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: Jay County public records, Jay County arrest records, Jay County warrants, Jay County inmate search, Jay County criminal records, Indiana arrest records and Indiana inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Jay 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 Jay County that is the Jay 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 Jay County Sheriff's Office
The Jay County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 0 violent and 13 property crimes reported for 2024 and reported 120 arrests for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 866-340-7879. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at jaycountysheriff.com/jail-information (page title: Jail Information | Jay County Sheriff's Office), phone 866-340-7879, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Jay County
The two cities the FBI lists in Jay County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Portland.
- Dunkirk: 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: Jay County in 2024
The one agency in Jay County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 0 violent and 13 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Jay County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 1,272 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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 260-726-6980, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Jay County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Jay 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 Jay 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 Jay County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 866-340-7879. 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 Jay 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.