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 28, 2026.
Dayton, Ohio, in Montgomery County, has about 136,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Dayton 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: Dayton public records, Montgomery County police reports, Dayton arrest records, Dayton warrants, Dayton inmate search, Dayton criminal records, Ohio arrest records and Ohio inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Dayton
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 Dayton that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Dayton Police Department); outside it, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also carries Sinclair Community College (campus police), with a records office of its own.
The Carlisle Police Department and the Springboro Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Montgomery County, so their arrests are not broken out for Montgomery County here.
Reports from the Dayton Police
For Dayton, SearchSystems opened and checked the Dayton police department's page at daytonohio.gov/230/Police (page title: Police Department | Dayton, OH), phone 937-333-3333, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Dayton had 1,673 violent and 5,478 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 6,325 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 241 violent and 1,012 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,361 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at mcsojail.countygovservices.com/Home/CurrentInmates (page title: Current Inmates | Montgomery County Sheriff's Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 28, 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 mcohiosheriff.org/support_services/public_records.php (page title: Records Requests).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 937-225-5623, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Dayton?
From the agency that took it. The Dayton police department's page is at daytonohio.gov/230/Police, phone 937-333-3333; the sheriff's reports come from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Dayton 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 Montgomery 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 Dayton 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.