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 September 24, 2026.
Smyth County, Virginia, has about 29,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Smyth County depends on where the incident happened: the Smyth 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: Smyth County public records, Smyth County arrest records, Smyth County warrants, Smyth County inmate search, Smyth County criminal records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Smyth 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 Smyth County that is the Smyth 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 Smyth County State Police in Smyth County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Smyth County Sheriff's Office
The Smyth County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 27 violent and 89 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 794 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 276-782-4056. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at smythcounty.gov/departments/sheriff/regional_jail.php (page title: Smyth County, VA), phone 276-782-4056, 3520 Abingdon Regional Jail 15205, Monday - Friday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Smyth County
The three cities the FBI lists in Smyth County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Marion: 21 violent and 95 property crimes reported for 2025; 213 arrests reported for 2025.
- Saltville: 1 violent and 19 property crimes reported for 2025; 65 arrests reported for 2024.
- Chilhowie: 4 violent and 27 property crimes reported for 2025; 64 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: Smyth County in 2025
The four agencies in Smyth County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 53 violent and 230 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Smyth County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,071 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Virginia Freedom of Information Act Requires
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act sets the rules: an answer within 5 working days, at a charge of the actual cost of searching and copying, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at smythcounty.gov/how_do_i/submit/foia.php (page title: Smyth County, VA).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Commonwealth's Attorney, (276) 782-4042, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Smyth County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Smyth 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 Smyth 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 Smyth County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Smyth County State Police in Smyth County.
How do I get a report from the Smyth County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 276-782-4056. Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 working days.
Is this the official Smyth 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.