Access Mercer County Police Records
Mercer County police records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office and Circuit Clerk in Aledo. This page explains how to request reports, search court cases, and file FOIA requests with local agencies.
Mercer County Quick Facts
Mercer County Sheriff's Office Records
The Mercer County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement for the unincorporated parts of the county. Call (309) 582-5194 to reach the department. The sheriff handles patrol, jail operations, court security, and civil process across Mercer County. Aledo is the county seat and the center of county government operations.
Police records from the sheriff include incident reports, arrest logs, traffic crash reports, and dispatch records. To get copies, you file a written FOIA request under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/). Put your request in writing. Give names, dates, and case numbers. Specific requests always get faster answers than vague ones.
The Mercer County Sheriff's website is shown below.
Visit the Mercer County Sheriff website for department contact information and news.
The sheriff's website is the best starting point for learning about the department and reaching the records staff.
Mercer County is a rural county in western Illinois along the Mississippi River. The population is just over 15,000. The sheriff's office is the primary law enforcement agency for the bulk of the county. Aledo has a local police presence, but the sheriff covers most of the land. When filing a FOIA request, direct it to the sheriff's FOIA officer at the department.
| Phone | (309) 582-5194 |
|---|---|
| Website | mercercosheriff.org |
Filing FOIA Requests in Mercer County
A FOIA request must be in writing. Phone calls do not count. You can mail your request, hand deliver it, or check with the office about email. Once the FOIA officer receives your written request, the agency has five business days to respond. This can extend to ten days for large or complex requests. The extension must be in writing too.
The response will either provide your records, tell you the cost for copies, or deny the request with a written explanation. Every denial must cite the specific exemption from the FOIA statute (5 ILCS 140/). Common reasons include active investigations, personal privacy, and law enforcement safety concerns.
You can appeal any denial. Contact the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor. The appeal is free. You do not need a lawyer. The PAC will review the situation and issue an opinion. This gives you a real path to push back against improper denials in Mercer County.
Standard copy fees apply. The first 50 pages of black and white copies come at no charge. After that, each page is $0.15. Electronic copies sent by email are usually free. Ask for digital delivery to save money. Color copies and non-standard sizes cost the actual reproduction price.
Not all records are fully public. The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/) limits criminal history data at the state level. Only convictions show up in state searches. Arrest records without a conviction stay private through those channels. But you can still ask for arrest records directly from the Mercer County Sheriff under FOIA. Local requests follow different rules than state-level searches.
Mercer County Circuit Clerk and Court Records
Kristin Relander is the Mercer County Circuit Clerk. The office is at 100 SE 3rd Street, P.O. Box 175, Aledo, IL 61231. Call (309) 582-7122 for questions about court records. The Mercer County Circuit Clerk page has information about court services and filings.
The Circuit Clerk's page is shown below.
Visit the Circuit Clerk's page for details about court records and procedures in Mercer County.
Court records here cover the legal proceedings that follow a police report, from charging through sentencing.
Court records and police records are two different things. The police report describes what happened at the scene. The court record shows what the legal system did about it. After an arrest, the State's Attorney files charges and the case goes to circuit court. The clerk tracks every filing from that point on. You may need records from both offices to get the complete picture of a case in Mercer County.
Visit the clerk's office in person to pull records. Bring a case number if you have one. The staff can search by name, but a case number makes things much faster. Certified copies are more expensive than regular ones. Ask the clerk about the current schedule before you order.
| Clerk | Kristin Relander |
|---|---|
| Address | 100 SE 3rd Street, P.O. Box 175, Aledo, IL 61231 |
| Phone | (309) 582-7122 |
| Website | mercercountyil.org |
State Police Resources for Mercer County
ISP Troop 2 covers Mercer County. State troopers handle incidents on state highways and interstates. If a trooper wrote the report you need, request it from ISP. File through the ISP FOIA page. Mail to 801 South 7th Street, Suite 1000-S, Springfield, IL 62703, or email ISP.FOIA.Officer@illinois.gov.
ISP crash reports cost $5 each. Pay by check or money order. Include the date, location, and names of drivers. For criminal background checks, ISP runs the CHIRP system under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/). Only conviction data appears. The fee is $16 per search.
The Illinois Sex Offender Registry is free. Search by name or address to check for registered offenders in Mercer County. No FOIA request is needed. The registry is updated regularly by ISP.
What Police Records Are Available
Mercer County agencies hold several types of police records.
- Incident and offense reports from the sheriff
- Arrest records and booking data
- Traffic crash reports from county roads
- Court case files from the Circuit Clerk
- Warrant information (limited access)
- Sex offender data from the ISP registry
County road crashes go to the sheriff. State highway crashes go to ISP Troop 2. City police in Aledo handle their own records for incidents within city limits. All criminal court cases still go through the Mercer County Circuit Clerk. Contact the right agency first. Active warrants are not always available to the public. Call the sheriff to ask about a specific person.
Cities in Mercer County
Aledo is the county seat and the largest community. Other towns include Viola, Joy, and New Boston. Cities with their own police departments handle their own records. All court cases for the county go through the Mercer County Circuit Clerk in Aledo.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Mercer County in western Illinois.
Henderson County also borders Mercer County to the south.