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.
Portsmouth, Ohio, in Scioto County, has about 17,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Portsmouth 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: Portsmouth public records, Scioto County police reports, Portsmouth arrest records, Portsmouth warrants, Portsmouth inmate search, Portsmouth criminal records, Ohio arrest records and Ohio inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Portsmouth
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 Portsmouth that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Portsmouth Police Department); outside it, the Scioto County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also carries Southern Ohio Organized and Major Crimes Task Force (other agency) and Shawnee State University (campus police), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Portsmouth Police
For Portsmouth, SearchSystems opened and checked the Portsmouth police department's page at portsmouthohpd.gov (page title: Portsmouth Police Department), phone (740) 354-5538, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Portsmouth had 113 violent and 540 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 615 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Scioto County Sheriff's Office
The Scioto County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 54 violent and 359 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 193 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at sciotocountysheriff.org (page title: Sheriff | Scioto County Sheriff | Portsmouth), 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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Portsmouth?
From the agency that took it. The Portsmouth police department's page is at portsmouthohpd.gov, phone (740) 354-5538; the sheriff's reports come from the Scioto County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Portsmouth 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 Scioto 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 Portsmouth 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.