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.
Caldwell County, North Carolina, has about 81,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Caldwell County depends on where the incident happened: the Caldwell 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 North Carolina 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: Caldwell County public records, Caldwell County arrest records, Caldwell County warrants, Caldwell County inmate search, Caldwell County criminal records, North Carolina arrest records and North Carolina inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Caldwell 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 Caldwell County that is the Caldwell 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 Rhodhiss Police Department, the Blowing Rock Police Department and the Hickory Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Caldwell County, so their arrests are not broken out for Caldwell County here.
Reports from the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office
The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 51 violent and 556 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 953 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 828-759-3502. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at caldwellcountync.org/280/Detention (page title: Detention | Caldwell County, NC), phone 828-759-3502, 224 S Dawson Street Raleigh, NC 27601, Monday through Friday from 8 am until 7 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 2, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Caldwell County
The three cities the FBI lists in Caldwell County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Lenoir: 63 violent and 549 property crimes reported for 2025; 642 arrests reported for 2025. The Lenoir police department's page is at cityoflenoir.com/163/Police, phone 828-757-2100 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Granite Falls: 8 violent and 117 property crimes reported for 2025; 263 arrests reported for 2025.
- Hudson: 1 violent and 40 property crimes reported for 2025; 156 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: Caldwell County in 2025
The four agencies in Caldwell County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 123 violent and 1,262 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the four agencies in Caldwell County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,014 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Caldwell County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the North Carolina Public Records Act the answer is due as promptly as possible; the statute sets no number of days.
How long does an agency in Caldwell County 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 Caldwell County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 828-759-3502. 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 Caldwell 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.