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.
Strafford County, New Hampshire, has about 134,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Strafford County depends on where the incident happened: the Strafford 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 New Hampshire Right-to-Know 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: Strafford County public records, Strafford County arrest records, Strafford County warrants, Strafford County inmate search, Strafford County criminal records, New Hampshire arrest records and New Hampshire inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Strafford 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 Strafford County that is the Strafford 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 places the Strafford County State Police in Strafford County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's list also carries the University of New Hampshire (campus police), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Strafford County Sheriff's Office
The Strafford County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 3 violent and 1 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 66 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (603) 742-3310. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at co.strafford.nh.us/jail-home-page (page title: Jail Home Page), phone (603) 742-3310, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Strafford County
The three cities the FBI lists in Strafford County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Dover: 22 violent and 196 property crimes reported for 2025; 746 arrests reported for 2025. The Dover police records page is at dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/police/citizen-online-repor..., phone 603-742-4646 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Rochester: 36 violent and 418 property crimes reported for 2025; 1,121 arrests reported for 2025.
- Somersworth: 14 violent and 201 property crimes reported for 2025; 542 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: Strafford County in 2025
The 14 agencies in Strafford County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 122 violent and 1,000 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the 14 agencies in Strafford County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,280 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law Requires
Under the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law the agency must answer a request within 5 business 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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, (603) 749-2808, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Strafford County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Strafford County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law the answer is due within 5 business days.
How long does an agency in Strafford County have to answer?
Under the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law, within 5 business days. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Strafford County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Strafford County State Police in Strafford County.
How do I get a report from the Strafford County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (603) 742-3310. Under the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Strafford 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.