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 27, 2026.
Lincoln County, New Mexico, has about 20,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Lincoln County depends on where the incident happened: the Lincoln 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 Inspection of 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: Lincoln County public records, Lincoln County arrest records, Lincoln County warrants, Lincoln County inmate search, Lincoln County criminal records, New Mexico arrest records and New Mexico inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Lincoln County
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.
In Lincoln County that is the Lincoln 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.
Reports from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 422 arrests for 2019.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at p2c.lincolnsheriff.org/jailinmates.aspx (page title: Lincoln County Sheriffs Office P2C), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 27, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Lincoln County
The four cities the FBI lists in Lincoln County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Ruidoso: 429 arrests reported for 2019. The Ruidoso police records page is at ruidosopolice.com/records-request, phone 575-258-4343 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Ruidoso Downs: 17 arrests reported for 2025.
- Capitan: 5 violent and 21 property crimes reported for 2022; 8 arrests reported for 2024.
- Carrizozo: 7 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: Lincoln County in 2022
The one agency in Lincoln County with all twelve months of 2022 on file reported 5 violent and 21 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Lincoln County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 24 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Inspection of Public Records Act Requires
Under the Inspection of Public Records Act the agency must answer a request within 15 calendar days, after acknowledging the request within 3 business days, and it may charge copying at no more than $1 a page. 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 lincolncountynm.gov/how_do_i/public_records_request_(ipra)/index.php (page title: Public Records Request (IPRA)).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Lincoln County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Inspection of Public Records Act the answer is due within 15 calendar days, after acknowledging the request within 3 business days.
How long does an agency in Lincoln County have to answer?
Under the Inspection of Public Records Act, within 15 calendar days, after acknowledging the request within 3 business days. It may charge copying at no more than $1 a page.
How do I get a report from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Inspection of Public Records Act the answer is due within 15 calendar days, after acknowledging the request within 3 business days.
Is this the official Lincoln 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.