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 2, 2026.
West Salem, Wisconsin, in La Crosse County, has about 5,300 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from West Salem 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: West Salem public records, La Crosse County police reports, West Salem arrest records, West Salem warrants, West Salem inmate search, West Salem criminal records, Wisconsin arrest records and Wisconsin inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from West Salem
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.
Inside West Salem that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as West Salem Police Department); outside it, the La Crosse County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also carries the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse (campus police), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the West Salem Police
For West Salem, SearchSystems opened and checked the West Salem police records page at westsalemwi.gov/police/records (page title: Request Records From The West Salem Police Department), phone 608-786-1858, 175 Leonard St S., West Salem WI 54669, Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:45 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for West Salem had 4 violent and 32 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 240 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the La Crosse County Sheriff's Office
The La Crosse County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 18 violent and 87 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 738 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at lacrossecounty.org/sheriff/sheriff/inmate (page title: Inmate Locator | Sheriff | La Crosse County), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
What the Wisconsin Public Records Law Requires
Under the Wisconsin Public Records Law the agency must answer a request as soon as practicable and without delay; the law sets no number of days, and it may charge the actual cost of copying and locating, with no charge for the first $50 of locating. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in West Salem?
From the agency that took it. The West Salem police records page is at westsalemwi.gov/police/records, phone 608-786-1858; the sheriff's reports come from the La Crosse County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in West Salem 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 La Crosse 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 West Salem 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.