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 on September 23, 2026.
Van Buren County, Michigan, has about 76,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Van Buren County depends on where the incident happened: the Van Buren 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: Van Buren County public records, Van Buren County arrest records, Van Buren County warrants, Van Buren County inmate search, Van Buren County criminal records, Michigan arrest records and Michigan inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Van Buren 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 Van Buren County that is the Van Buren 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 Van Buren County State Police in Van Buren County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office
The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 1,377 arrests for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (269) 657-8200. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at vanburencountymi.gov/departments/sheriff/services/jail-inmate-infor... (page title: Jail & Inmate Information | Van Buren County), phone (269) 657-8200, 219 E Paw Paw Street Paw Paw, MI 49079-1429, Monday to Friday: 8:30 AM - 5 PM, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Van Buren County
The eight cities the FBI lists in Van Buren County with a reporting agency of their own:
- South Haven: 22 violent and 248 property crimes reported for 2025; 307 arrests reported for 2025.
- Paw Paw: 14 violent and 139 property crimes reported for 2025; 183 arrests reported for 2025.
- Mattawan: 8 violent and 11 property crimes reported for 2025; 33 arrests reported for 2025.
- Hartford: 2 violent and 13 property crimes reported for 2025; 4 arrests reported for 2025.
- Bangor: 15 violent and 26 property crimes reported for 2025; 63 arrests reported for 2025.
- Lawton: 3 violent and 16 property crimes reported for 2025; 9 arrests reported for 2025.
- Decatur: 10 violent and 37 property crimes reported for 2025; 32 arrests reported for 2025.
- Lawrence: 3 violent and 9 property crimes reported for 2025; 14 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: Van Buren County in 2025
The nine agencies in Van Buren County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 81 violent and 533 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the nine agencies in Van Buren County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 713 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, (269) 657-8200, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Van Buren County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Van Buren County State Police in Van Buren County.
How do I get a report from the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (269) 657-8200. Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension.
Is this the official Van Buren 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.