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 25, 2026.
Columbus, Ohio, in Franklin County, has about 933,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Columbus depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Ohio 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: Columbus public records, Franklin County police reports, Columbus arrest records, Columbus warrants, Columbus inmate search, Columbus criminal records, Ohio arrest records and Ohio inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Columbus
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 Columbus that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Columbus Police Department); outside it, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's agency list also places two other agencies and four campus police departments in Franklin County, each with a records office of its own.
The Pickerington Police Department and the Lithopolis Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Franklin County, so their arrests are not broken out for Franklin County here.
Reports from the Columbus Police
For Columbus, SearchSystems opened and checked the Columbus police records page at columbus.gov/Services/Public-Safety/Find-a-Police-Report (page title: Find a Police Report | City of Columbus, Ohio), phone (614) 645-3111, 120 Marconi Blvd. Columbus, OH 43215, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Columbus had 3,575 violent and 23,837 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 6,925 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 79 violent and 496 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 875 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at sheriff.franklincountyohio.gov/Services/Inmate-Information (page title: Inmate Information | Franklin County Sheriff’s Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
What the Ohio Public Records Act Requires
The Ohio Public Records Act sets the rules: an answer promptly, within a reasonable period of time, at a charge of the actual cost of copying, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at clerk.franklincountyohio.gov/Public-Records/Public-Records-Request-... (page title: Public Records Request Form | Franklin County Clerk of Courts).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 614-525-3555, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Columbus?
From the agency that took it. The Columbus police records page is at columbus.gov, phone (614) 645-3111; the sheriff's reports come from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Columbus have to answer?
Under the Ohio Public Records Act, promptly, within a reasonable period of time. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
How do I get a report from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Ohio Public Records Act the answer is due promptly, within a reasonable period of time.
Is this the official Columbus 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.