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.
Chelsea, Michigan, in Washtenaw County, has about 5,400 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Chelsea depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Michigan Freedom of Information Act 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: Chelsea public records, Washtenaw County police reports, Chelsea arrest records, Chelsea warrants, Chelsea inmate search, Chelsea criminal records, Michigan arrest records and Michigan inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Chelsea
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.
Inside Chelsea that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Chelsea Police Department); outside it, the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Washtenaw County State Police in Washtenaw 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 one other agency and three campus police departments in Washtenaw County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Chelsea Police
For Chelsea, SearchSystems opened and checked the Chelsea police records page at city-chelsea.org/services/police/records.php (page title: Welcome to Chelsea MI), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Chelsea had 11 violent and 43 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 45 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office
The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 497 violent and 927 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,014 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at washtenaw.org/sheriff (page title: Sheriff | Washtenaw County, MI), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
What the Michigan Freedom of Information Act Requires
The Michigan Freedom of Information Act sets the rules: an answer within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension, at a charge of labor and copying, at rates the law caps, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at washtenaw.org/records-request-0 (page title: Records Request | Washtenaw County, MI).
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 Chelsea?
From the agency that took it. The Chelsea police records page is at city-chelsea.org/services/police/records.php; the sheriff's reports come from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Chelsea have to answer?
Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension. It may charge labor and copying, at rates the law caps.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Chelsea?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Washtenaw County State Police in Washtenaw County.
How do I get a report from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension.
Is this the official Chelsea 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.