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.
Peabody, Massachusetts, in Essex County, has about 55,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Peabody depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Massachusetts Public Records Law requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Peabody public records, Essex County police reports, Peabody arrest records, Peabody warrants, Peabody inmate search, Peabody criminal records, Massachusetts arrest records and Massachusetts inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Peabody
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.
Inside Peabody that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Peabody Police Department); outside it, the Essex County Sheriff’s Department | Essex County, MA.
The FBI's list also places the Essex County State Police in Essex County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's agency list also places six campus police departments and one state agency in Essex County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Peabody Police
For Peabody, SearchSystems opened and checked the Peabody police records page at peabodypd.org/recordsdivision (page title: Records Division | Peabody Police Department), phone 978-538-6345, Monday - Thursday 8:30AM - 3:00PM, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Peabody had 162 violent and 348 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 866 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Essex County Sheriff’s Department | Essex County, MA
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at essexsheriffma.org (page title: Essex County Sheriff’s Department | Essex County, MA), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
What the Massachusetts Public Records Law Requires
Under the Massachusetts Public Records Law the agency must answer a request within 10 business days, and it may charge staff time after the first four hours for towns and two for the state, plus copying. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Peabody?
From the agency that took it. The Peabody police records page is at peabodypd.org/recordsdivision, phone 978-538-6345; the sheriff's reports come from the Essex County Sheriff’s Department | Essex County, MA.
How long does an agency in Peabody have to answer?
Under the Massachusetts Public Records Law, within 10 business days. It may charge staff time after the first four hours for towns and two for the state, plus copying.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Peabody?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Essex County State Police in Essex County.
How do I get a report from the Essex County Sheriff’s Department | Essex County, MA?
From its records unit. Under the Massachusetts Public Records Law the answer is due within 10 business days.
Is this the official Peabody website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.