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.
Benton County, Missouri, has about 21,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Benton County depends on where the incident happened: the Benton 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 Missouri Sunshine Law 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: Benton County public records, Benton County arrest records, Benton County warrants, Benton County inmate search, Benton County criminal records, Missouri arrest records and Missouri inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Benton County
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
In Benton County that is the Benton 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 carries the Cole Camp School District (other agency), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Benton County Sheriff's Office
The Benton County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 97 arrests for 2023.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at bentoncountysheriffmo.org/inmate-roster/filters/current/booking_tim... (page title: Inmate Roster | Benton County MO Sheriff | Sort Booking Time | Descending | Page 1), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Benton County
The three cities the FBI lists in Benton County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Warsaw: 2 violent and 67 property crimes reported for 2025; 67 arrests reported for 2025.
- Lincoln: 1 violent and 13 property crimes reported for 2025; 29 arrests reported for 2025.
- Cole Camp: 3 violent and 1 property crimes reported for 2025; 1 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: Benton County in 2025
The three agencies in Benton County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 6 violent and 81 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Benton County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 97 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Missouri Sunshine Law Requires
Under the Missouri Sunshine Law the agency must answer a request within 3 business days, and it may charge research time and copying. 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, (660) 438-5022, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Benton County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Benton County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Missouri Sunshine Law the answer is due within 3 business days.
How long does an agency in Benton County have to answer?
Under the Missouri Sunshine Law, within 3 business days. It may charge research time and copying.
How do I get a report from the Benton County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Missouri Sunshine Law the answer is due within 3 business days.
Is this the official Benton 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.