The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program lists 3 law enforcement agencies in Buchanan County, Iowa: the county sheriff's office and 2 city or town police departments.
Sheriff's Office and County Police in Buchanan County
Buchanan County Sheriff's OfficeCounty sheriff or police · ORI IA0100000 · NIBRS since 1992
City and Town Police Departments in Buchanan County
Fairbank Police DepartmentCity or town police · ORI IA0100400 · NIBRS since 2022
Independence Police DepartmentCity or town police · ORI IA0100100 · NIBRS since 1992
Where People Arrested in Buchanan County Are Held
In most U.S. counties, adults arrested by city police, the sheriff or state troopers are booked into the county jail first. Some larger cities run their own holding jail, so if a person is not on the county roster, call the arresting department.
Agency names, types and ORI codes come from the FBI Crime Data Explorer agency list, retrieved November 2026. NIBRS dates show when an agency began reporting incident-level crime data to the FBI.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many police departments are in Buchanan County?
The FBI lists 3 law enforcement agencies in Buchanan County, including 2 city or town police departments. The full list is on this page.
Who runs the jail in Buchanan County?
In most counties the sheriff runs the county jail. In Buchanan County that is the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office. See Buchanan County Jail on this site for the jail's roster or contact details.
What is an ORI number?
An ORI is the nine-character identifier the FBI assigns to each law enforcement agency for crime reporting, for example IA0100100. It is useful when you request records or read crime statistics.
