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 September 30, 2026.
Lauderdale County, Mississippi, has about 71,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Lauderdale County depends on where the incident happened: the Lauderdale 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: Lauderdale County public records, Lauderdale County arrest records, Lauderdale County warrants, Lauderdale County criminal records, Lauderdale County court records, Mississippi arrest records and Mississippi inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale County that is the Lauderdale 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 Meridian Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division (state agency), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office
The Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 39 violent and 131 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 792 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Lauderdale County
The one city the FBI lists in Lauderdale County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Meridian: 184 violent and 545 property crimes reported for 2025; 1,336 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: Lauderdale County in 2025
The two agencies in Lauderdale County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 223 violent and 676 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Lauderdale County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,128 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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney, 601.482.9757, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Lauderdale County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale 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.