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 September 30, 2026.
Mercer County, West Virginia, has about 58,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Mercer County depends on where the incident happened: the Mercer 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, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Mercer County public records, Mercer County arrest records, Mercer County warrants, Mercer County inmate search, Mercer County property records, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Mercer 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 Mercer County that is the Mercer 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 Princeton State Police in Mercer County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's agency list also places two campus police departments, two state agencies and one other agency in Mercer County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Mercer County Sheriff's Office
The Mercer County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 112 violent and 404 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 732 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 304-487-8364. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at mercercountywv.com/agencies/sheriff (page title: Sheriff’s Department | Mercer County Commission WV), phone 304-487-8364, 1501 West Main Street, Suite 31 Princeton, WV 24740, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Mercer County
The two cities the FBI lists in Mercer County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Bluefield: 33 violent and 69 property crimes reported for 2025; 1,212 arrests reported for 2025. The Bluefield police department's page is at bluefieldwv.gov/police, phone 304-327-2401 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Princeton: 203 arrests reported for 2022.
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: Mercer County in 2025
The two agencies in Mercer County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 145 violent and 473 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Mercer County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,096 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
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.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at mercercountywv.com/foia (page title: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests | Mercer County Commission WV).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 304-487-8340, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Mercer County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Mercer 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 Mercer 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 Mercer County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Princeton State Police in Mercer County.
How do I get a report from the Mercer County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 304-487-8364. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Mercer 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.