Crawford County Police Records

Crawford County police records are on file with the Sheriff's Office and Circuit Clerk in Robinson. This page walks through the request process, fees, and where to find court records and state resources.

Crawford County Sheriff Police Records

The Crawford County Sheriff's Office is at 203 S. Jefferson Street, Robinson, IL 62454. Phone: (618) 546-1515. Email: adminassist@crawfordcounty.illinois.gov. You can visit the Crawford County website for department information.

The sheriff handles law enforcement across unincorporated Crawford County. Police records include incident reports, arrest logs, booking data, and crash reports from county roads. All of these are public records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/). You have the right to request them.

Crawford County has a downloadable FOIA form at crawfordcountyil.org. This 2024 form is the most current version. Print it, fill it out, and send it to the sheriff's office. You can also write your own request letter. The key is that it must be in writing. Phone requests do not meet the legal requirement.

The screenshot below shows the Crawford County website where you can find sheriff's office information and FOIA resources.

Visit crawfordcountyil.org for contact details, department listings, and the FOIA request form.

The county website is your starting point for finding the right contact and forms for a records request in Crawford County.

Crawford County Circuit Clerk Court Records

Angela Reinoehl is the Crawford County Circuit Clerk. Mailing address: P.O. Box 655, Robinson, IL 62454. Phone: (618) 544-3512. Email: circuitclerk@crawfordcountyil.org. You can learn more at the Crawford County Circuit Clerk website.

The circuit clerk holds court records for all of Crawford County. Criminal cases, civil filings, traffic matters, and family law cases are all on file here. Court records are not the same as police reports. A police report describes the incident. A court record tracks the legal process from charges through sentencing. Both may be needed to fully understand a case.

The Crawford County Circuit Clerk's website is shown below.

Check the Crawford County Circuit Clerk page for information about court records and services.

This page provides clerk contact details, office hours, and instructions for requesting copies of court documents in Crawford County.

Visit the office in person or mail a request. Having a case number makes the search faster. Certified copies carry a higher fee than standard prints. Call the clerk's office for current copy fees before making a trip.

How to Request Crawford County Police Records

First, figure out which agency has the record you want. The sheriff handles county incidents. City police in Robinson handle calls inside city limits. ISP covers state highways. Sending a request to the wrong place costs you time.

Once you know the right agency, write your request. Include the date of the incident. Include the names of people involved. Add any case or report numbers you have. If you are not sure of the exact date, give a range. Specific requests get faster results than broad ones. A request for "all records involving John Doe in March 2024" is better than asking for "all your records about John Doe."

Response time is five business days under the FOIA law. The office can extend that to ten days if the request is large or needs extra review. If you get no response, that counts as a denial, and you can appeal to the Illinois Attorney General.

Copy fees in Crawford County follow state rules. The first 50 pages are free. After that, black and white copies cost $0.15 per page. Electronic delivery may be free if you request it. Ask about digital copies when you submit your form.

Certain records may be restricted. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630/) limits access to arrest records where charges were dropped or the person was acquitted. Sealed and expunged records are off limits. Any denial must come with a written explanation citing the specific exemption.

Illinois State Police and Crawford County

ISP Troop 9 serves Crawford County. State troopers cover highways and state roads. If a trooper responded to an incident here, you request that record from ISP. The ISP FOIA page has the forms and instructions.

The CHIRP system at ISP handles statewide criminal history checks. It is a name-based search that returns convictions only. The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/) controls what data is released. Cost is $16 per search. No arrest-only records are included.

For sex offender information in Crawford County, the Illinois Sex Offender Registry is free to use. Search by name, address, or county. It is maintained under the Sex Offender Registration Act (730 ILCS 150/).

Available Record Types in Crawford County

Crawford County has several types of police records on file:

• Incident reports from the Sheriff's Office
• Arrest records and booking logs
• Traffic crash reports from county roads
• Criminal case files from the Circuit Clerk
• Civil and traffic court records
• Sex offender registry data (state level)

Most are public. Exceptions include active investigations, juvenile records, and sealed or expunged files. Crash reports from state roads cost $5 each through ISP. County road crashes go through the sheriff. Always check which road the incident was on. That tells you which agency wrote the report.

Cities in Crawford County

Robinson is the county seat and largest city in Crawford County. Other communities include Oblong, Hutsonville, and Palestine. Robinson has its own police force. Records from city police go through the city. Court records for the entire county are handled by the Crawford County Circuit Clerk in Robinson.

Nearby Counties

Crawford County is along the Indiana border in southeastern Illinois. These neighboring counties manage their own police records independently.