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.
Winona County, Minnesota, has about 50,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Winona County depends on where the incident happened: the Winona 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: Winona County public records, Winona County arrest records, Winona County warrants, Winona County criminal records, Winona County court records, Minnesota arrest records and Minnesota inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Winona 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 Winona County that is the Winona 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 La Crescent Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Winona County, so its arrests are not broken out for Winona County here.
Reports from the Winona County Sheriff's Office
The Winona County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 12 violent and 30 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 132 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Winona County
The four cities the FBI lists in Winona County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Winona: 41 violent and 598 property crimes reported for 2025; 823 arrests reported for 2025.
- Goodview: 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025; 23 arrests reported for 2025.
- St. Charles: 17 arrests reported for 2024.
- Lewiston: 2 arrests reported for 2024.
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: Winona County in 2025
The three agencies in Winona County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 53 violent and 628 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Winona County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 978 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, 507-457-6310, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Winona County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Winona 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 Winona 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 Winona 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 Winona 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.