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 9, 2026.
Adams County, Washington, has about 21,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Adams County depends on where the incident happened: the Adams 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 Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) 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: Adams County public records, Adams County arrest records, Adams County warrants, Adams County inmate search, Adams County criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Adams 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 Adams County that is the Adams 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.
Reports from the Adams County Sheriff's Office
The Adams County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 40 violent and 105 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 173 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 509-659-3331. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at co.adams.wa.gov/182/Jail-Roster-Release-Information (page title: Jail Roster & Release Information | Adams County, WA), phone 509-659-3331, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Adams County
The two cities the FBI lists in Adams County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Othello: 13 violent and 154 property crimes reported for 2025; 385 arrests reported for 2025. The Othello police department's page is at othellowa.gov/departments/PoliceDepartment, phone 509-488-3314 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Ritzville: 5 violent and 31 property crimes reported for 2025; 15 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: Adams County in 2025
The three agencies in Adams County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 58 violent and 290 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Adams County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 573 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) Requires
The Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) sets the rules: an answer within 5 business days, at a charge of for copies at 15 cents a page, and set fees for electronic records, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 509-488-2064, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Adams County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Adams County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) the answer is due within 5 business days.
How long does an agency in Adams County have to answer?
Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56), within 5 business days. It may charge for copies at 15 cents a page, and set fees for electronic records.
How do I get a report from the Adams County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 509-659-3331. Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Adams 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.