Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest 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 September 30, 2026.
Hancock County, West Virginia, has about 28,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Hancock County depends on where the incident happened: the Hancock 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 West Virginia Freedom of Information Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Hancock County public records, Hancock County arrest records, Hancock County warrants, Hancock County inmate search, Hancock County criminal records, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Hancock County
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.
In Hancock County that is the Hancock 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.
The FBI's list also places the New Cumberland State Police in Hancock County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's list also carries the Department of Natural Resources in Hancock County and the State Fire Marshal in Hancock County (state agency) and Hancock/Brooke/Weirton Drug Task Force (other agency), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Hancock County Sheriff's Office
The Hancock County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 61 arrests for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (304) 564-7851. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at hancockcountywv.org/sheriff.html (page title: Sheriff's Department Home), phone (304) 564-7851, Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Hancock County
The three cities the FBI lists in Hancock County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Weirton: 332 arrests reported for 2025.
- Chester.
- New Cumberland: 1,152 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.
What the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act Requires
Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the agency must answer a request within 5 business days, and it may charge the actual cost of copying. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, (304) 564-3933, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Hancock County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Hancock County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
How long does an agency in Hancock County 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 Hancock County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the New Cumberland State Police in Hancock County.
How do I get a report from the Hancock County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (304) 564-7851. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Hancock 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.