Clearwater County Police Blotter

Clearwater County police blotter records and incident reports are managed by the Sheriff's Office in Bagley, located at the Clearwater County Courthouse. The county is rural and covers a wide area in northwestern Minnesota, so response times and records availability can vary. This page explains how to find and request Clearwater County police blotter information.

Clearwater County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Darin Halverson leads the Clearwater County Sheriff's Office. The office is on the first floor of the Clearwater County Courthouse at 213 Main Avenue North, Department 102, Bagley, MN 56621. The main phone line is 218-694-6226. Fax is 218-694-6964. The office covers law enforcement for the unincorporated parts of Clearwater County.

The county attorney is Kathryn Lorsbach and can be reached at 218-694-6566. If records you want are tied to pending court cases, the county attorney's office handles that data. The county auditor-treasurer is Allen L. Paulson at 218-694-6520. The county website is at co.clearwater.mn.us.

Records requests go through the Sheriff's Office and follow the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act at Chapter 13. Most completed incident reports are public. Reports tied to active investigations or pending charges may be withheld until those matters close.

Clearwater County Official Website

The Clearwater County homepage provides access to county departments including the Sheriff's Office, county attorney, and public records information.

From the county website, you can navigate to the Sheriff's Office for law enforcement contact details and records requests. The site also links to the county jail roster, which updates periodically throughout the day.

Clearwater County Jail Roster and Inmate Records

The Clearwater County jail roster is available online through the county website. The system tries to update every 60 minutes. However, the Sheriff's Office notes that accuracy is not guaranteed, so verify custody status by calling 218-694-6226 if you need a confirmed answer.

Jail roster information includes the name of each person in custody, charges, booking date, and related case data. This falls under public law enforcement data per Minn. Stat. § 13.82. Once someone is booked and charges are on file, that data is generally available to the public without requiring an explanation or ID. Clearwater County Jail information is also at clearwatercountyjail.org.

VineLink at vinelink.com allows you to look up custody status and sign up for notifications when a specific person's custody changes. It is a free service used across Minnesota. For court records tied to Clearwater County cases, use mncourts.gov to search by name or case number.

Local Police Departments Serving Clearwater County

Several police departments handle city incidents in Clearwater County. Each maintains its own records separate from the Sheriff's Office. To request a city incident report, go to the city department, not the county.

The Bagley Police Department is at 21 Getchell Avenue SE, PO Box 759, Bagley, MN 56621, phone 218-694-6150. Clearbrook-Gonvick Police covers two smaller communities at 200 Elm Street SW, Clearbrook, MN 56634, phone 218-776-3490. The White Earth Tribal Police handles matters on reservation lands at PO Box 418, White Earth, MN 56591, phone 218-983-3285. Tribal police operate under their own jurisdiction for incidents on tribal land, which is separate from county law enforcement authority.

If you are unsure which agency responded to an incident, start with the Sheriff's Office. They can often confirm which department took the call and where to send your request. County dispatch logs may also show the responding unit even if the final report was written by a city or tribal officer.

Minnesota Data Practices and Police Blotter Access

All public records requests in Clearwater County operate under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13. The law classifies government data as public, private, confidential, or protected nonpublic. Most routine police calls produce reports that are public once the case is closed. Details about victims of certain crimes, juvenile records, and ongoing investigations stay restricted.

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.03, you can inspect public data at reasonable times without paying a fee. If you want copies, standard rates apply. Minnesota law caps copy fees at $0.25 per page for 100 or fewer pages. Longer documents may cost more. The office cannot require you to explain why you want the records or show ID to access public data.

Written requests tend to move faster. State clearly what you are asking for, including dates, names, and incident type. The agency must respond in a prompt manner, though Minnesota law does not set a specific number of business days. If you believe a denial is wrong, the Minnesota Data Practices Office at the Department of Administration handles appeals. The county attorney at 218-694-6566 can also help if records are tied to court proceedings.

State Resources for Clearwater County Records

When local records are not enough, state resources can fill gaps. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca handles statewide criminal history records. BCA records go back across multiple counties and agencies, unlike county-level records that are limited to what that office handled. The BCA also maintains predatory offender information that is searchable online.

The Minnesota Sheriffs' Association at mnsheriffs.org links to all 87 county sheriff offices. If you need to locate a specific agency or verify contact details, that site is a good reference. For court records, the Minnesota Courts public access system is free at mncourts.gov and covers cases from Clearwater County District Court. Criminal case records, civil cases, and probate matters are all searchable by name or case number.

Cities in Clearwater County

Clearwater County includes Bagley, Clearbrook, Gonvick, Shevlin, and other small communities. None of the cities in Clearwater County meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site. For incidents within city limits, contact the local city police department. All county-level records go through the Sheriff's Office in Bagley. White Earth Tribal Police handles matters on the reservation.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Clearwater County in northwestern Minnesota. Each operates under the same state law but maintains its own records.