NORTH CAROLINA AGENCY GUIDES
Onslow County law enforcement
A detailed guide to Onslow County law enforcement, agency jurisdictions, local history, courts, FBI and SBI office coverage, and published crime data.
- County seat
- Jacksonville
- Established
- 1734
- Region
- Coastal Plain
- County government
- Official county website
Onslow County at a glance
Onslow County combines Jacksonville, its county seat, with rural communities, coastal towns and Marine Corps installations. The local directory separates municipal police, the sheriff and Albert J. Ellis Airport Police from military law enforcement. That distinction matters when seeking a report, identifying an employer or choosing the correct public office.
The county's official overview describes more than 30 miles of beaches, rural farmland and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Jacksonville is the commercial center along the New River. Richlands, Holly Ridge, Swansboro and North Topsail Beach have different inland and coastal settings, and part of Surf City lies in the county. Hammocks Beach State Park is a state-managed location rather than an independent town police department.
Law enforcement in Onslow County
The sheriff publishes Administration, Civil, Detention, Investigations and Operations divisions. Jacksonville, Holly Ridge, Richlands, Swansboro and North Topsail Beach maintain municipal departments. Albert J. Ellis Airport expressly describes a full-time airport police department. Surf City is a cross-county town whose single police department should also be linked from the Pender profile. Military installation police are separate federal organizations, even when local agencies assist at shared incidents.
County history and community context
Onslow was created from New Hanover County in 1734 and named for Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the British House of Commons. Jacksonville was established and incorporated in 1843. The New River, Atlantic coastline and later military development explain much of the county's geography and civic growth.
Courts, public records and official resources
Start with the office that created the record. The law-enforcement sources below identify the sheriff and any independently verified municipal or campus departments; a report from one department is not automatically maintained by another. For a court filing, judgment, civil action, or case-calendar question, use the county Judicial Branch page and the Clerk of Superior Court contacts linked there. County-government sources provide a separate route to county departments and administrative records. This directory does not promise access to confidential personnel files, investigative material, or recordings, and it does not state a release deadline without a verified applicable rule.
The North Carolina Judicial Branch maintains the Onslow County court-services page at https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/onslow-county. Its county navigation provides local court information, courthouse and contact details, calendars, local rules and forms, and jury-service guidance. Consult the Judicial Branch page for the particular matter and current filing instructions; the sheriff, a municipal police station, a jail, and the courthouse are different destinations. Verify the hearing location and case-specific notice before traveling.
FBI and SBI regional offices
FBI office coverage
Wilmington covers Onslow County under the Charlotte Field Office. The FBI investigates federal matters; this assignment does not replace local emergency response.
Charlotte Field Office: 704-672-6100 · 7915 Microsoft Way, Charlotte, NC 28273. Official FBI coverage directory.
NC SBI district
Coastal District — Jacksonville · 470 Dolphin Drive, Jacksonville, N.C. 28546 · (910) 939-6200. Official SBI district-office directory.
For an emergency call 911. The federal and state office contacts are provided for jurisdictional research and administrative inquiries.
Published crime and personnel data
The NC SBI’s county table reports selected Index offenses from contributing agencies in 2024. It is separate from the FBI’s 2025 reporting year and is not a count of all possible offenses.
| Offense category | Published count |
|---|---|
| Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter | 7 |
| Rape | 51 |
| Robbery | 32 |
| Aggravated assault | 402 |
| Burglary | 574 |
| Larceny-theft | 2,054 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 169 |
Published county-table Index total: 3,289. SBI Index offenses by agency in county.
| Published agency label | Index total | Murder | Rape | Robbery | Aggravated assault | Burglary | Larceny | Vehicle theft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onslow Co. Sheriff | 1,607 | 5 | 33 | 17 | 256 | 372 | 804 | 120 |
| Jacksonville | 1,505 | 2 | 16 | 15 | 141 | 171 | 1,118 | 42 |
| Holly Ridge | 49 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 32 | 1 |
| Richlands | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 3 |
| Swansboro | 82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 69 | 2 |
| North Topsail Beach | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 1 |
A county total depends on the reporting agencies and source-table coverage. Missing agencies or blank values must not be treated as zero. Published totals are not a safety ranking and do not establish an agency’s performance.
| Agency | Reported violent crime | Reported property crime | Full-time sworn · Oct. 31 | Full-time civilian · Oct. 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert J. Ellis Airport Police Department | Not published | Not published | 6 | 0 |
| Holly Ridge Police Department | 1 | 30 | 16 | 1 |
| Jacksonville Police Department | 160 | 1,204 | 117 | 46 |
| North Topsail Beach Police Department | 0 | 26 | 13 | 1 |
| Onslow County Sheriff's Office | 330 | 1,215 | 167 | 147 |
| Richlands Police Department | 0 | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| Surf City Police Department | 23 | 88 | 28 | 1 |
| Swansboro Police Department | Not published | Not published | 12 | 1 |
These are individual agency rows, not whole-county totals. Cross-county departments may serve territory beyond Onslow County. Each linked profile identifies its FBI source table and reporting label. Do not sum these rows to compare with the SBI’s different year and coverage.
Explore statewide FBI figures, reporting definitions and methodology →
Service arrangements and roster notes
Historical reporting lists can include former departments, contract arrangements, facilities and subordinate units. The notes below distinguish those entries from the agency profiles above.
- Camp Lejeune and associated Marine Corps installation law enforcement are separate federal/military jurisdictions. Hammocks Beach ranger operations belong under the statewide park-ranger agency. Surf City Police is researched under Pender and should be linked here as a single cross-county department.
Sources and review date
Official agency, government and institutional sources are linked below. Contact details and organizational information were reviewed September 24, 2026. Published statistical years are identified separately.