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 October 4, 2026.
Washington County, Tennessee, has about 140,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Washington County depends on where the incident happened: the Washington 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 Tennessee 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: Washington County public records, Washington County arrest records, Washington County warrants, Washington County inmate search, Washington County criminal records, Tennessee arrest records and Tennessee inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Washington 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 Washington County that is the Washington 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 Drug Task Force's 1st Judicial District (other agency) and East Tennessee State University (campus police), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Washington County Sheriff's Office
The Washington County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 130 violent and 336 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 3,451 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at wcso.net (page title: Washington County Sheriff's Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 4, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Washington County
The two cities the FBI lists in Washington County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Johnson City: 310 violent and 1,587 property crimes reported for 2025; 4,157 arrests reported for 2025.
- Jonesborough: 9 violent and 66 property crimes reported for 2025; 153 arrests reported for 2025. The Jonesborough police department's page is at jonesboroughtn.org/town-services/public-safety/police-department, phone 423.753.1030 (verified September 26, 2026).
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: Washington County in 2025
The three agencies in Washington County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 449 violent and 1,989 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Washington County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 7,761 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Tennessee Public Records Act Requires
The Tennessee Public Records Act sets the rules: an answer within 7 business days, at a charge of copying, and labor after the first hour, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at washingtoncountytn.org/DocumentCenter/View/1176/Form-1---Public-Rec... (page title: FORM 1 PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST FORM WASHINGTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney General handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Washington County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Washington County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Tennessee Public Records Act the answer is due within 7 business days.
How long does an agency in Washington County have to answer?
Under the Tennessee Public Records Act, within 7 business days. It may charge copying, and labor after the first hour.
How do I get a report from the Washington County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Tennessee Public Records Act the answer is due within 7 business days.
Is this the official Washington 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.