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.
Benzie County, Michigan, has about 19,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Benzie County depends on where the incident happened: the Benzie 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 Michigan Freedom of Information 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: Benzie County public records, Benzie County arrest records, Benzie County warrants, Benzie County inmate search, Benzie County criminal records, Michigan arrest records and Michigan inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Benzie County
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.
In Benzie County that is the Benzie 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 places the Benzie County State Police in Benzie County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Benzie County Sheriff's Office
The Benzie County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 24 violent and 30 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 79 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (231) 882-0052. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at benziesheriff.com (page title: Benzie County Jail MI Sheriff's Office, Jail & Inmate Information), phone (231) 882-0052, a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Reports from the City Agencies in Benzie County
The one city the FBI lists in Benzie County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Frankfort: 3 violent and 6 property crimes reported for 2025; 6 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: Benzie County in 2025
The two agencies in Benzie County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 27 violent and 36 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Benzie County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 85 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 231-882-0043, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Benzie County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Benzie County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension.
How long does an agency in Benzie County 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 Benzie County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Benzie County State Police in Benzie County.
How do I get a report from the Benzie County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (231) 882-0052. Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension.
Is this the official Benzie 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.