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.
Ritchie County, West Virginia, has about 8,200 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Ritchie County depends on where the incident happened: the Ritchie 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: Ritchie County public records, Ritchie County arrest records, Ritchie County warrants, Ritchie County inmate search, Ritchie County criminal records, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Ritchie County
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.
In Ritchie County that is the Ritchie 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 Harrisville State Police in Ritchie 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 Ritchie County and the State Fire Marshal in Ritchie County (state agency), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Ritchie County Sheriff's Office
The Ritchie County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 2 violent and 20 property crimes reported for 2023 and reported 68 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 304-643-2262. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at ritchiecounty.wv.gov/countygovernmentagencies/Pages/sheriff.aspx (page title: County Sheriff), phone 304-643-2262, 109 E. North Street - Suite 101 Harrisville, WV 26362, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Ritchie County
The two cities the FBI lists in Ritchie County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Harrisville.
- Pennsboro: 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: Ritchie County in 2023
The one agency in Ritchie County with all twelve months of 2023 on file reported 2 violent and 20 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Ritchie County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,220 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
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, 304-643-2164, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Ritchie County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Ritchie 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 Ritchie 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 Ritchie County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Harrisville State Police in Ritchie County.
How do I get a report from the Ritchie County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 304-643-2262. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Ritchie 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.