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 9, 2026.
Jefferson County, New York, has about 113,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Jefferson County depends on where the incident happened: the Jefferson 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 Freedom of Information 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: Jefferson County public records, Jefferson County arrest records, Jefferson County warrants, Jefferson County inmate search, Jefferson County criminal records, New York arrest records and New York inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Jefferson 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 Jefferson County that is the Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 21 violent and 135 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 665 arrests for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (315) 786-2688. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at jeffersoncountyny.gov/corrections-contact-numbers (page title: Welcome to Jefferson County, New York | Corrections Contact Information), phone (315) 786-2688, 175 Arsenal Street Watertown, NY 13601, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Jefferson County
The 12 cities the FBI lists in Jefferson County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Watertown: 156 violent and 973 property crimes reported for 2025; 964 arrests reported for 2025. The Watertown police department's page is at watertown-ny.gov/departments/PoliceDepartment/PoliceFAQ, phone 315-782-2233 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Carthage: 1 violent and 20 property crimes reported for 2025; 38 arrests reported for 2025.
- West Carthage: 0 violent and 1 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 arrests reported for 2025.
- Clayton: 0 violent and 10 property crimes reported for 2025; 2 arrests reported for 2025.
- Sackets Harbor: 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 arrests reported for 2025.
- Black River: 0 violent and 2 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 arrests reported for 2025.
- Dexter: 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 arrests reported for 2025.
- Alexandria Bay: 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 arrests reported for 2025.
- Brownville: 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 arrests reported for 2025.
- Theresa: 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 arrests reported for 2025.
- Cape Vincent: 0 violent and 1 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 arrests reported for 2025.
- Glen Park: 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 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: Jefferson County in 2025
The 13 agencies in Jefferson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 178 violent and 1,142 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the 12 agencies in Jefferson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,004 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
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 jeffersoncountyny.gov/searchcopyrequests (page title: Welcome to Jefferson County, New York | Search & Copy Requests).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney, (315)785-3053, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Jefferson County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. 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.
How long does an agency in Jefferson County 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 Jefferson County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (315) 786-2688. 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 Jefferson 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.