Hancock County Police Records Lookup
Hancock County police records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office on Buchanan Street in Carthage. This page covers how to request incident reports, search court records, and access law enforcement files in the county.
Hancock County Quick Facts
Hancock County Sheriff's Office
The Hancock County Sheriff's Office is at 98 Buchanan Street in Carthage. The phone number is (217) 357-2115. You can also reach them by email at tduffy@hancockcounty-il.gov. Deputies handle calls in the unincorporated parts of the county. The sheriff manages the county jail and serves court papers.
Police records from the sheriff are public under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/). To get a report, put your request in writing. Include the date, names, and a case number if you have one. The FOIA officer for the sheriff's office is Maria Hopp. You can mail or hand-deliver your request to the office.
The Hancock County Sheriff's Office website is shown here with contact information and department details.
Visit the site to check hours and find any forms the sheriff may post for FOIA requests.
Hancock County sits along the Mississippi River in western Illinois. With about 17,300 residents, it is a rural county where the sheriff's office handles most law enforcement outside of the towns. The FOIA process works the same here as in larger counties. Every request gets five business days for a response.
| Address | 98 Buchanan Street, Carthage, IL 62321 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (217) 357-2115 |
| tduffy@hancockcounty-il.gov | |
| FOIA Officer | Maria Hopp |
| Website | hancockcounty-il.gov/sheriffs-office |
FOIA Rules and Copy Fees
Every public body in Hancock County must follow the state FOIA law. Write your request. Be specific about what you want. Include dates, names, and locations. The agency has five business days to respond. Extensions to ten days are allowed for complex requests.
The first 50 pages of black and white copies are free under state law. Pages after that are $0.15 each for standard sizes. Electronic copies on disc cost under a dollar. You can ask for a fee waiver if you think the records serve the public interest. The agency decides, but it is worth asking.
If a request is denied, the agency must cite a specific FOIA exemption. Active investigations, personal privacy, and officer safety are the most common reasons for denial in Hancock County. Appeal any denial to the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor. The appeal is free. The PAC issues a binding opinion, typically within a few weeks. Keep all your paperwork organized in case you need to go through the appeal process.
Hancock County Circuit Clerk
Keara Webber is the Hancock County Circuit Clerk. The mailing address is P.O. Box 189, Carthage, IL 62321. Call (217) 357-2616 for questions about court records. The Circuit Clerk's website has more details about case searches and filing procedures.
The Hancock County Circuit Clerk's website is shown below with office details and court records information.
This resource covers how to look up case numbers, hearing dates, and criminal case dispositions in Hancock County.
The circuit clerk tracks all court filings in the county. When police make an arrest, the State's Attorney decides on charges. Once charges are filed, the clerk records every motion, hearing, and outcome. You can find charges, bonds, plea deals, and sentencing through the clerk's office. Hancock County is part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, and criminal cases are heard at the courthouse in Carthage.
A police report tells you what happened at the scene. The court record tells you what the legal system did about it. To get the whole story on a case, you need both. Contact the sheriff for the police file and the circuit clerk for the court file.
| Clerk | Keara Webber |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 189, Carthage, IL 62321 |
| Phone | (217) 357-2616 |
| Website | hancockcounty-il.gov/circuit-clerk |
State Police and Criminal History
ISP Troop 4 covers Hancock County. Troopers patrol state highways and handle traffic incidents in the area. If a state trooper wrote the report you need, go through ISP directly. File at isp.illinois.gov/Foia or email ISP.FOIA.Officer@illinois.gov.
Criminal history checks are run by the ISP Bureau of Identification. The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/) limits the public to conviction records only. Arrests that did not lead to a conviction stay private. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630/) outlines the sealing and expungement process in Illinois.
To get your own criminal history, visit a Live Scan fingerprint vendor. ISP sends you the transcript at no cost. Crash reports from ISP cost $5.00 each, payable by check or money order to Illinois State Police.
What Records Are Available?
Hancock County agencies maintain several types of police records. The type you need depends on the incident and who responded.
- Incident and offense reports
- Arrest records and booking information
- Traffic crash reports
- Dispatch and call logs
- Court case filings and outcomes
- Warrant information
Active investigations may lead to parts of the record being withheld. Juvenile records are sealed under state law. Witness names and statements in open cases are often redacted. The ISP Sex Offender Registry is free to search and covers Hancock County. No FOIA request is needed.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Hancock County in western Illinois. Each has its own law enforcement and court system.