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 on September 24, 2026.
Putnam County, West Virginia, has about 57,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Putnam County depends on where the incident happened: the Putnam 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: Putnam County public records, Putnam County arrest records, Putnam County warrants, Putnam County inmate search, Putnam County criminal records, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Putnam 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 Putnam County that is the Putnam 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 Winfield State Police in Putnam 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 Putnam County and the State Fire Marshal in Putnam County (state agency), each with a records office of its own.
The Nitro Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Putnam County, so its arrests are not broken out for Putnam County here.
Reports from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 45 violent and 173 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 503 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Putnam County
The four cities the FBI lists in Putnam County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Hurricane: 220 arrests reported for 2024.
- Winfield: 0 violent and 3 property crimes reported for 2025; 6 arrests reported for 2025.
- Eleanor.
- Poca: 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.
How Many Reports: Putnam County in 2025
The two agencies in Putnam County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 45 violent and 176 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Putnam County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,661 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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Putnam County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Putnam 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 Putnam 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 Putnam County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Winfield State Police in Putnam County.
How do I get a report from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Putnam 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.