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 September 30, 2026.
Tonawanda, New York, in Erie County, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Tonawanda depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Freedom of Information Law 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: Tonawanda public records, Erie County police reports, Tonawanda arrest records, Tonawanda warrants, Tonawanda inmate search, Tonawanda criminal records, New York arrest records and New York inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Tonawanda
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.
Inside Tonawanda that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Tonawanda Town Police Department); outside it, the Erie County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also carries the Buffalo State College State University of New York Police and the Buffalo State University of New York Police (campus police) and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (other agency), each with a records office of its own.
The Gowanda Village Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Erie County, so its arrests are not broken out for Erie County here.
Reports from the Tonawanda Police
For Tonawanda, SearchSystems opened and checked the Tonawanda police records page at tonawanda.gov/public-safety/records-communications.html (page title: Records & Communications | Town of Tonawanda), phone (716) 879-6650, 6650 Email 1835 Sheridan Dr. Buffalo, NY 14223, Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Tonawanda had 79 violent and 1,035 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 892 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Erie County Sheriff's Office
The Erie County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 39 violent and 624 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 900 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 716-858-7755. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at www4.erie.gov/sheriff (page title: Erie County Sheriff's Office), phone 716-858-7755, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
What the Freedom of Information Law Requires
Under the Freedom of Information Law the agency must answer a request within 5 business days, at least with an acknowledgment and a date for the full answer, and it may charge copying at 25 cents 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 www4.erie.gov/clerk/general-rules-requesting-information (page title: General Rules for Requesting Information | Erie County Clerk Michael P. Kearns).
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 Tonawanda?
From the agency that took it. The Tonawanda police records page is at tonawanda.gov, phone (716) 879-6650; the sheriff's reports come from the Erie County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Tonawanda have to answer?
Under the Freedom of Information Law, within 5 business days, at least with an acknowledgment and a date for the full answer. It may charge copying at 25 cents a page.
How do I get a report from the Erie County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 716-858-7755. Under the Freedom of Information Law the answer is due within 5 business days, at least with an acknowledgment and a date for the full answer.
Is this the official Tonawanda 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.