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.
Watonwan County, Minnesota, has about 11,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Watonwan County depends on where the incident happened: the Watonwan 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 Minnesota Government Data Practices 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: Watonwan County public records, Watonwan County arrest records, Watonwan County warrants, Watonwan County inmate search, Watonwan County criminal records, Minnesota arrest records and Minnesota inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Watonwan 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 Watonwan County that is the Watonwan 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.
Reports from the Watonwan County Sheriff's Office
The Watonwan County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 1 violent and 9 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 72 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at watonwancountymn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/67/Jail-Roster (page title: Page 1 of 2 Watonwan County Sheriff's Office Watonwan Internet Jail Roster), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Watonwan County
The one city the FBI lists in Watonwan County with a reporting agency of its own:
- St. James: 11 violent and 43 property crimes reported for 2025; 101 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: Watonwan County in 2025
The two agencies in Watonwan County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 12 violent and 52 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Watonwan County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 173 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act Requires
The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act sets the rules: an answer promptly, within a reasonable time, at a charge of copying, and staff time for requests over 100 pages, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, 507-375-3373, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Watonwan County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Watonwan County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act the answer is due promptly, within a reasonable time.
How long does an agency in Watonwan County have to answer?
Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, promptly, within a reasonable time. It may charge copying, and staff time for requests over 100 pages.
How do I get a report from the Watonwan County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act the answer is due promptly, within a reasonable time.
Is this the official Watonwan 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.