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.
Howell County, Missouri, has about 41,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Howell County depends on where the incident happened: the Howell 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: Howell County public records, Howell County arrest records, Missouri arrest records and Missouri inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Howell 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 Howell County that is the Howell 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 Howell County Sheriff's Office
The Howell County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 71 violent and 172 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 242 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Howell County
The three cities the FBI lists in Howell County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- West Plains: 35 violent and 191 property crimes reported for 2025; 327 arrests reported for 2025. The West Plains police records page is at westplains.gov/departments/emergency-services/police/meet-the-offic..., phone 417-257-2194 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Mountain View: 11 violent and 25 property crimes reported for 2025; 63 arrests reported for 2025.
- Willow Springs: 5 violent and 16 property crimes reported for 2025; 23 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: Howell County in 2025
The four agencies in Howell County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 122 violent and 404 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the four agencies in Howell County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 655 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Howell County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell 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.