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 28, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Essex County, Virginia, has about 11,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Essex County depends on where the incident happened: the Essex 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: Essex County public records, Essex County arrest records, Essex County warrants, Essex County inmate search, Essex County property records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Essex 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 Essex County that is the Essex 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 Essex County State Police in Essex County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Essex County Sheriff's Office
The Essex County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 15 violent and 48 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 51 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 804-443-3347. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at essexva.gov/1215/Sheriff (page title: Sheriff | Essex County, VA), phone 804-443-3347, 304 Prince Street Tappahannock, VA 22560, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 28, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Essex County
The one city the FBI lists in Essex County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Tappahannock: 11 violent and 51 property crimes reported for 2025; 116 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: Essex County in 2025
The two agencies in Essex County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 26 violent and 99 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Essex County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 167 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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Commonwealth's Attorney, 804-443-6599, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Essex County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Essex 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 Essex 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 Essex County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Essex County State Police in Essex County.
How do I get a report from the Essex County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 804-443-3347. Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 working days.
Is this the official Essex 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.