Requesting Open Records
The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office is committed to promoting open and transparent government, by complying with the Iowa Open Records Act. Records that are defined as open under the law shall be released upon request. There are some records that are deemed confidential, therefore we cannot release them.
The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office has designated two staff members to be our Open Records Liaisons. They are:
Deputy B. Snook at phone number 319-291-2587 ext. 5135 or email: bsnook@BHCSO.org
Please call or email one of these staff members to request the records you are seeking. You may also report in person to this office during regular business hours Monday thru Friday and request to speak with one of the two liaisons if you wish. They will inform you whether or not the record can be copied for you or viewed by you, and will give you a cost estimate. There may be time needed to prepare the record in question. If they need time to determine if your request qualifies for copying or viewing, the liaison will tell you and get back to you as soon as possible after researching and/or seeking legal advice. The reasonable costs of providing the open record(s) to you must be pre-paid if the record is being sent back to you, or paid for at the time you pick it up in person at our lobby.
For a general overview of fees associated with open records, go to “Fee Schedule” on this website.
If you choose to make your open records request through the US Mail, be as specific as possible as to the record you are seeking and provide a means for the liaison to contact you if they have questions. They will have to convey to you somehow whether or not your request can be fulfilled and how much it will cost. Use the following address:
Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office
Attention: Open Records Request
225 E 6th Street
Waterloo, IA 50703