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 on September 23, 2026.
Belmont County, Ohio, has about 65,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Belmont County depends on where the incident happened: the Belmont 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, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Belmont County public records, Belmont County arrest records, Belmont County warrants, Belmont County inmate search, Belmont County criminal records, Ohio arrest records and Ohio inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Belmont County
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.
In Belmont County that is the Belmont 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.
The FBI's list also carries Belmont County Major Crimes Unit (other agency), with a records office of its own.
The Yorkville Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Belmont County, so its arrests are not broken out for Belmont County here.
Reports from the Belmont County Sheriff's Office
The Belmont County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 77 violent and 121 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 158 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 740-695-5124. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at belmontsheriffohio.gov/jail (page title: Belmont County Jail | Inmate Info & Visitation Rules), phone 740-695-5124, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Belmont County
The nine cities the FBI lists in Belmont County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Martins Ferry: 18 violent and 33 property crimes reported for 2025; 123 arrests reported for 2025.
- St. Clairsville: 1 violent and 7 property crimes reported for 2025; 36 arrests reported for 2025.
- Barnesville: 2 violent and 9 property crimes reported for 2025; 72 arrests reported for 2025.
- Bellaire: 5 violent and 22 property crimes reported for 2025; 33 arrests reported for 2025.
- Shadyside.
- Bridgeport: 0 violent and 1 property crimes reported for 2025; 41 arrests reported for 2025.
- Powhatan Point.
- Bethesda.
- Flushing.
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: Belmont County in 2025
The six agencies in Belmont County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 103 violent and 193 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the six agencies in Belmont County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 463 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Ohio Public Records Act Requires
Under the Ohio Public Records Act the agency must answer a request promptly, within a reasonable period of time, and it may charge the actual cost of copying. 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 belmontsheriffohio.gov/public-records (page title: Request Records | Belmont County Sheriff's Office).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 740-699-2771, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Belmont County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Belmont 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 Belmont 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 Belmont County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 740-695-5124. Under the Ohio Public Records Act the answer is due promptly, within a reasonable period of time.
Is this the official Belmont 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.