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.
Bedford County, Virginia, has about 82,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Bedford County depends on where the incident happened: the Bedford 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 Virginia Freedom of Information 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: Bedford County public records, Bedford County arrest records, Bedford County warrants, Bedford County inmate search, Bedford County criminal records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Bedford 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 Bedford County that is the Bedford 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 places the Bedford County State Police in Bedford County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Bedford County Sheriff's Office
The Bedford County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 76 violent and 359 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,339 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 540-586-4800. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at sheriff.bedfordcountyva.gov/divisions/services (page title: Services | County of Bedford, Virginia), phone 540-586-4800, 1345 Falling Creek Road Bedford, VA 24523, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Bedford County
The one city the FBI lists in Bedford County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Bedford: 17 violent and 109 property crimes reported for 2025; 237 arrests reported for 2025.
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: Bedford County in 2025
The two agencies in Bedford County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 93 violent and 468 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Bedford County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,576 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Virginia Freedom of Information Act Requires
Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act the agency must answer a request within 5 working days, and it may charge the actual cost of searching and 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 sheriff.bedfordcountyva.gov/services/make-a-foia-request (page title: Make a FOIA Request | County of Bedford, Virginia).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Commonwealth's Attorney, (540) 586-7628, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Bedford County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Bedford County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 working days.
How long does an agency in Bedford County have to answer?
Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, within 5 working days. It may charge the actual cost of searching and copying.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Bedford County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Bedford County State Police in Bedford County.
How do I get a report from the Bedford County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 540-586-4800. Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 working days.
Is this the official Bedford 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.