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 4, 2026.
Portage, Wisconsin, in Columbia County, has about 10,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Portage depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Wisconsin Public Records Law requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Portage public records, Columbia County police reports, Portage arrest records, Portage warrants, Portage inmate search, Portage criminal records, Wisconsin arrest records and Wisconsin inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Portage
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.
Inside Portage that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Portage Police Department); outside it, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Reports from the Portage Police
For Portage, SearchSystems opened and checked the Portage police department's page at portagewi.gov/police-law-enforcement-documents-policies-and-assistance (page title: Police Law Enforcement Documents, Policies & Assistance | City of Portage Wisconsin), phone 608-742-2176, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Portage had 8 violent and 208 property crimes reported for 2024 and reported 1,058 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office
The Columbia County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 44 violent and 142 property crimes reported for 2024 and reported 1,649 arrests for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at co.columbia.wi.us/columbiacounty/sheriff/Sheriffs-Office/Jail-Bookings (page title: Columbia County Sheriff's Office | Jail Bookings), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
What the Wisconsin Public Records Law Requires
The Wisconsin Public Records Law sets the rules: an answer as soon as practicable and without delay; the law sets no number of days, at a charge of the actual cost of copying and locating, with no charge for the first $50 of locating, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney, (608) 742-9650, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Portage?
From the agency that took it. The Portage police department's page is at portagewi.gov, phone 608-742-2176; the sheriff's reports come from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Portage have to answer?
Under the Wisconsin Public Records Law, as soon as practicable and without delay; the law sets no number of days. It may charge the actual cost of copying and locating, with no charge for the first $50 of locating.
How do I get a report from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Wisconsin Public Records Law the answer is due as soon as practicable and without delay; the law sets no number of days.
Is this the official Portage website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.