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 24, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Chautauqua County, Kansas, has about 3,300 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Chautauqua County depends on where the incident happened: the Chautauqua 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 Kansas Open Records 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: Chautauqua County public records, Chautauqua County arrest records, Chautauqua County warrants, Chautauqua County inmate search, Chautauqua County criminal records, Kansas arrest records and Kansas inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua County that is the Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua Unified School District (other agency), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office
The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 23 arrests for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at sheriff.us/corrections (page title: Corrections), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Chautauqua County
The two cities the FBI lists in Chautauqua County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Sedan.
- Cedar Vale.
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 Kansas Open Records Act Requires
Under the Kansas Open Records Act the agency must answer a request within 3 business days, and it may charge staff time and copying. 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 Chautauqua County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Kansas Open Records Act the answer is due within 3 business days.
How long does an agency in Chautauqua County have to answer?
Under the Kansas Open Records Act, within 3 business days. It may charge staff time and copying.
How do I get a report from the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Kansas Open Records Act the answer is due within 3 business days.
Is this the official Chautauqua 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.