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.
Dowagiac, Michigan, in Cass County, has about 5,700 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Dowagiac 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: Dowagiac public records, Cass County police reports, Dowagiac arrest records, Dowagiac warrants, Dowagiac inmate search, Dowagiac criminal records, Michigan arrest records and Michigan inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Dowagiac
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 Dowagiac that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Dowagiac Police Department); outside it, the Cass County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Cass County State Police in Cass County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Dowagiac Police
For Dowagiac, SearchSystems opened and checked the Dowagiac police department's page at cityofdowagiac.com/government/police/contact_information.php (page title: Dowagiac, MI), phone 269-782-9743, 241 S. Front Street Dowagiac, MI 49047, Monday thru Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Dowagiac had 32 violent and 157 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 160 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Cass County Sheriff's Office
The Cass County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 114 violent and 346 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 267 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at casscountymi.org/1520/Sheriffs-Office (page title: Sheriff's Office | Cass County, MI), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 28, 2026.
What the Michigan Freedom of Information Act Requires
Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act the agency must answer a request within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension, and it may charge labor and copying, at rates the law caps. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at casscountymi.org/163/Record-Requests (page title: Record Requests | Cass County, MI).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, (269) 445-4460, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Dowagiac?
From the agency that took it. The Dowagiac police department's page is at cityofdowagiac.com, phone 269-782-9743; the sheriff's reports come from the Cass County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Dowagiac 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 Dowagiac?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Cass County State Police in Cass County.
How do I get a report from the Cass 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 Dowagiac 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.