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 24, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Forrest County, Mississippi, has about 78,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Forrest County depends on where the incident happened: the Forrest 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 Mississippi Public Records 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: Forrest County public records, Forrest County arrest records, Forrest County warrants, Forrest County inmate search, Forrest County criminal records, Mississippi arrest records and Mississippi inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Forrest 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 Forrest County that is the Forrest 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 agency list also places two campus police departments, two other agencies and two state agencies in Forrest County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Forrest County Sheriff's Office
The Forrest County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 23 violent and 229 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 277 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at forrestcountysheriff.com/inmate-roster (page title: Inmate Roster), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Forrest County
The two cities the FBI lists in Forrest County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Hattiesburg: 124 violent and 1,741 property crimes reported for 2025; 1,333 arrests reported for 2025.
- Petal: 3 violent and 58 property crimes reported for 2025; 246 arrests reported for 2025. The Petal police department's page is at cityofpetal.com/police, phone 601-544-5331 (verified September 26, 2026).
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: Forrest County in 2025
The three agencies in Forrest County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 150 violent and 2,028 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Forrest County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,856 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Mississippi Public Records Act Requires
Under the Mississippi Public Records Act the agency must answer a request within 7 working days, or up to 14 where local rules allow, and it may charge the actual cost of search, review 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.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at forrestcountysheriff.com/public-records-requests (page title: Public Records Requests).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Forrest County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Forrest County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Mississippi Public Records Act the answer is due within 7 working days, or up to 14 where local rules allow.
How long does an agency in Forrest County have to answer?
Under the Mississippi Public Records Act, within 7 working days, or up to 14 where local rules allow. It may charge the actual cost of search, review and copying.
How do I get a report from the Forrest County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Mississippi Public Records Act the answer is due within 7 working days, or up to 14 where local rules allow.
Is this the official Forrest 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.