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 30, 2026.
Benton County, Washington, has about 218,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Benton County depends on where the incident happened: the Benton 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: Benton County public records, Benton County arrest records, Benton County warrants, Benton County inmate search, Benton County criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Benton 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 Benton County that is the Benton 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 Benton County Sheriff's Office
The Benton County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 55 violent and 308 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 301 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 509-783-1451. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at bentoncountywa.gov/departments/administration/corrections/daily_jai... (page title: Benton County, WA), phone 509-783-1451, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Benton County
The four cities the FBI lists in Benton County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Kennewick: 278 violent and 2,342 property crimes reported for 2025; 2,496 arrests reported for 2025.
- Richland: 168 violent and 1,329 property crimes reported for 2025; 1,383 arrests reported for 2025. The Richland police records page is at richlandwa.gov/departments/police-department/records, phone (360) 570-2355 (verified September 25, 2026).
- West Richland: 23 violent and 123 property crimes reported for 2025; 173 arrests reported for 2025.
- Prosser: 14 violent and 58 property crimes reported for 2025; 107 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: Benton County in 2025
The five agencies in Benton County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 538 violent and 4,160 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the five agencies in Benton County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,460 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) Requires
Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) the agency must answer a request within 5 business days, and it may charge for copies at 15 cents a page, and set fees for electronic records. 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 bentoncountywa.gov/government/elected_officials/commissioners/publi... (page title: Benton County, WA).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 509-735-3591, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Benton County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Benton 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 Benton 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 Benton County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 509-783-1451. Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Benton 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.