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 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Charleston, West Virginia, in Kanawha County, has about 46,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Charleston depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act 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: Charleston public records, Kanawha County police reports, Charleston arrest records, Charleston warrants, Charleston inmate search, Charleston criminal records, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Charleston
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 Charleston that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Charleston Police Department); outside it, the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Bureau of Criminal Investigation Academy State Police, the Kanawha County State Police, Parkway Authority, the South Charleston State Police and the Quincy State Police in Kanawha County; a report taken on a state highway by one of them comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's agency list also places two campus police departments, four state agencies and two other agencies in Kanawha County, each with a records office of its own.
The Montgomery Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Kanawha County, so its arrests are not broken out for Kanawha County here.
Reports from the Charleston Police
For Charleston, SearchSystems opened and checked the Charleston police department's page at charlestonwv.gov/government/city-departments/police (page title: Police Department | City of Charleston), phone (304) 348-6460, 501 Virginia Street East Charleston, WV 25301, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Charleston reported 2,431 arrests for 2023.
Reports from the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office
The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 334 violent and 1,008 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,143 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 304-357-0216. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at kanawhasheriff.us (page title: Kanawha County Sheriff's Office | Charleston, West Virginia), phone 304-357-0216, 301 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
What the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act Requires
The West Virginia Freedom of Information Act sets the rules: an answer within 5 business days, at a charge of the actual cost of copying, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, (304) 357-0300, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Charleston?
From the agency that took it. The Charleston police department's page is at charlestonwv.gov, phone (304) 348-6460; the sheriff's reports come from the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Charleston have to answer?
Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act, within 5 business days. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Charleston?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the state police in Kanawha County.
How do I get a report from the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 304-357-0216. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Charleston 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.