Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest 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.
Adams County, Ohio, has about 28,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Adams County depends on where the incident happened: the Adams 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 Ohio Public Records Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Adams County public records, Adams County arrest records, Adams County warrants, Adams County inmate search, Adams County criminal records, Ohio arrest records and Ohio inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Adams 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 Adams County that is the Adams 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 Adams County Sheriff's Office
The Adams County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 29 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at adamscosheriff.org/inmate-roster (page title: Inmate Roster Portal | Adams County Sheriff's Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Adams County
The five cities the FBI lists in Adams County with a reporting agency of their own:
- West Union: 3 arrests reported for 2019.
- Manchester.
- Peebles.
- Winchester.
- Seaman.
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.
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, 937-544-3600, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Adams County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Adams County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Ohio Public Records Act the answer is due promptly, within a reasonable period of time.
How long does an agency in Adams County 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 Adams 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 Adams 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.