Dodge County Police Blotter Records
Dodge County police blotter records are managed by the Records Unit of the Dodge County Sheriff's Office in Mantorville. The office handles records for about 21,000 residents across a largely rural county in southeastern Minnesota. The Dodge County Independent newspaper also publishes regular police blotter summaries for the public. This page explains how to request records and what to expect.
Dodge County Overview
Dodge County Sheriff's Office Records Unit
Chief Deputy Ryer Anderson supervises the Dodge County Records Unit. Four full-time staff members handle records for roughly 21,000 county residents. The office is at 22 East 6th Street, Dept. 201, Mantorville, MN 55955. Call 507-635-6200 during business hours. Fax is 507-635-6225. You can also email records requests to dcso.records@dodgecountymn.gov.
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office occasionally closes from noon to 1:00 p.m. for lunch. Call ahead to confirm availability before driving to the office. After hours, the office is not staffed for records questions. Call back during regular business hours for any records-related matter.
Records operations are governed by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act at Chapter 13. The Records Unit handles agency reports and records, court-mandated functions, data release processing, criminal and civil warrant management, criminal offender registration (for narcotics, sex, and arson offenders), and gun permit applications.
| Records Chief | Chief Deputy Ryer Anderson |
|---|---|
| Address | 22 East 6th Street, Dept. 201, Mantorville, MN 55955 |
| Phone | 507-635-6200 |
| Fax | 507-635-6225 |
| dcso.records@dodgecountymn.gov | |
| Records Unit Page | dodgecountymn.gov/departments/records_unit.php |
Dodge County Sheriff Records Unit Online
The Dodge County Records Unit page lists all services offered, staff details, scheduled service hours, and how to submit data requests.
The page includes information on fingerprinting appointments, gun permit applications, offender registration, and how to submit a formal data request. It also notes that the office is occasionally closed midday and recommends calling ahead to confirm staffing before visiting.
Scheduled Services at Dodge County Records Unit
The Records Unit offers applicant fingerprinting by appointment. It is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The fee is $15.00 per card for FD-258 cards. Bring your ID when you go. Fingerprints taken here are forwarded to the FBI CJIS for processing.
Criminal offender registration for sex offenders, arson offenders, narcotics offenders, and gang members is also handled here. That service is free. Registration is done Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Permit to Carry applications are also accepted through the Records Unit. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety provides FAQ sheets on carry permit requirements.
For all scheduled services, call 507-635-6200 ahead of time. The office can be busy, and confirming your appointment time avoids wasted trips. Photo ID is required when requesting private data records. For public data, ID is not required under Minn. Stat. § 13.03.
Dodge County Police Blotter - Media Relations Policy
The Dodge County Sheriff's Office has a published media relations policy. For routine inquiries, contact the office during normal business hours at 507-635-6200. Fax is 507-635-6225. The Sheriff is on call for emergencies and breaking news outside of business hours. That number is also 507-635-6200.
After-hours limitations are specific. The office generally will not release information on non-fatal crashes during evening or weekend hours. Routine arrest information, crimes not involving death or critical injury, and status updates on cases investigated by other agencies are also held until business hours. Written records, including arrest affidavits and event reports, are never sent from the Dispatch Center. That is important to know if you contact dispatch after hours expecting records. You will need to wait until the Records Unit opens.
The media relations page at dodgecountymn.gov/departments/media_relations.php lays out the full policy. The office strives to be responsive and comply with Minnesota Public Records law. Weekends and holidays follow the more limited protocol described above.
Dodge County Sheriff Media Relations Page
The Dodge County Media Relations page explains the Sheriff's policy on releasing information to the public and media, including police blotter updates and after-hours restrictions.
The policy page confirms that records are not distributed from Dispatch on weekends. All written data, including police blotter reports and arrest documents, must be requested through the Records Unit during regular business hours Monday through Friday.
Dodge County Police Blotter in Local News
The Dodge County Independent publishes police blotter entries on its public safety page at dodgecountyindependent.com. This is a convenient way to see recent law enforcement activity without making a formal records request. The newspaper covers arrests, accidents, and notable incidents from the Sheriff's Office and other agencies in the county.
Local newspaper blotters are summaries, not official records. They give you an overview of what happened and when. If you need the full incident report for legal or insurance purposes, you have to go through the Records Unit directly. Use the Independent as a reference to identify the approximate date and type of incident, then contact the Sheriff at 507-635-6200 to request the full report.
Dodge County Police Blotter in the Independent
The Dodge County Independent public safety page publishes regular police blotter entries summarizing law enforcement activity across Dodge County.
The newspaper covers Sheriff's Office activity, city police reports, and notable incidents. It is a community resource for staying current on public safety matters without having to file a formal records request. For official records, contact the Sheriff's Office Records Unit directly.
Minnesota Data Practices Act in Dodge County
All records requests in Dodge County follow Chapter 13 of Minnesota law. The Records Unit compiles monthly statistical reports for the Department of Justice Uniform Crime Reporting system and the National Incident Based Reporting System. That data, aggregated at the state level, is public. Individual incident reports are public after cases are resolved unless private data is involved.
Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, law enforcement agencies must disclose basic data from calls for service: the type of complaint, date, time, location, incident number, and agency response. More detailed data like investigation notes and witness statements may be withheld while cases are active. Once the investigation closes, most of that data becomes public.
Cases currently under investigation cannot be released. This is explicit in Dodge County's records policy. If you ask for a report and are told the case is active, ask when they expect it to close so you know when to follow up. For court records on Dodge County cases, search at mncourts.gov. VineLink at vinelink.com tracks custody status. The BCA at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca covers statewide criminal history.
Cities in Dodge County
Dodge County includes Mantorville, Kasson, Dodge Center, Blooming Prairie, and West Concord, among other small communities. None of the cities in Dodge County meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site. For incidents within any city, contact the city police department that serves that area. All Sheriff's Office records are through the Records Unit in Mantorville.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Dodge County in southeastern Minnesota. Each operates its own sheriff and records division.