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.
Asheville, North Carolina, in Buncombe County, has about 95,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Asheville depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the North Carolina Public Records Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Asheville public records, Buncombe County police reports, Asheville arrest records, Asheville warrants, Asheville inmate search, Asheville criminal records, North Carolina arrest records and North Carolina inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Asheville
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.
Inside Asheville that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Asheville Police Department); outside it, the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's agency list also places one campus police department, one other agency and two state agencies in Buncombe County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Asheville Police
For Asheville, SearchSystems opened and checked the Asheville police records page at ashevillenc.gov/department/police/police-reports (page title: Police Reports | The City of Asheville), phone (828) 252-1110, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Asheville had 716 violent and 4,179 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,833 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office
The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 223 violent and 1,137 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,220 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at buncombenc.gov/663/Sheriff (page title: Sheriff | Buncombe County, NC), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
What the North Carolina Public Records Act Requires
Under the North Carolina Public Records Act the agency must answer a request as promptly as possible; the statute sets no number of days, and it may charge the actual cost of 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 buncombenc.gov/1218/911-Records-Requests (page title: 911 Records Requests | Buncombe County, NC).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney, 828-259-3410, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Asheville?
From the agency that took it. The Asheville police records page is at ashevillenc.gov, phone (828) 252-1110; the sheriff's reports come from the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Asheville have to answer?
Under the North Carolina Public Records Act, as promptly as possible; the statute sets no number of days. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
How do I get a report from the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the North Carolina Public Records Act the answer is due as promptly as possible; the statute sets no number of days.
Is this the official Asheville website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.