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 4, 2026.
Plainfield, New Jersey, in Union County, has about 57,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Plainfield depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Open 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: Plainfield public records, Union County police reports, Plainfield arrest records, Plainfield warrants, Plainfield inmate search, Plainfield criminal records, New Jersey arrest records and New Jersey inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Plainfield
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 Plainfield that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Plainfield Police Department); outside it, the Union County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Union County State Police in Union County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's list also carries Kean University (campus police) and Prosecutor in Union County and the Union County Park Police (other agency), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Plainfield Police
For Plainfield, SearchSystems opened and checked the Plainfield police records page at plainfieldnj.gov/departments/police/records_unit.php (page title: City of Plainfield), phone 908.753.3018, Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Plainfield reported 1,226 arrests for 2024.
Reports from the Union County Sheriff's Office
The Union County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 1 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 122 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at unioncountynj.org (page title: Union County, NJ, Sheriff & Jail Info, Inmate Search), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
What the Open Public Records Act Requires
Under the Open Public Records Act the agency must answer a request within 7 business days, and it may charge copying at 5 cents a page for letter size. 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 Plainfield?
From the agency that took it. The Plainfield police records page is at plainfieldnj.gov, phone 908.753.3018; the sheriff's reports come from the Union County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Plainfield have to answer?
Under the Open Public Records Act, within 7 business days. It may charge copying at 5 cents a page for letter size.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Plainfield?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Union County State Police in Union County.
How do I get a report from the Union County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Open Public Records Act the answer is due within 7 business days.
Is this the official Plainfield 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.