Search Brookhaven Police Blotter

Brookhaven police blotter records are kept by the Brookhaven Police Department, which serves this DeKalb County city of about 59,400 residents just northeast of Atlanta. Brookhaven incorporated in 2012 and established its own police force, so the city handles its own incident reports and arrest records. The department creates police blotter entries for all calls that result in a written report inside city limits. You can access Brookhaven police blotter records through the department directly or through state online portals.

DeKalb County and Brookhaven Records

Brookhaven is in DeKalb County. While the Brookhaven Police Department handles patrols and writes its own reports, the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail. When Brookhaven officers arrest someone, the booking goes through the DeKalb County jail system. The arrest report stays with the Brookhaven Police Department, but the booking record is a county document. To get the complete set of records tied to a Brookhaven police blotter entry, you may need to contact both agencies.

Criminal cases from Brookhaven move to the DeKalb County court system for prosecution. Court records are separate from police files. A Brookhaven police blotter entry covers what happened at the scene. Court records follow the case through the legal system. For more on county records, see the DeKalb County police blotter page.

Brookhaven Police Blotter Info

The Brookhaven Police Department is the city's own law enforcement agency. Officers patrol Brookhaven, respond to calls, and write incident reports. Every call that generates a written report goes into the Brookhaven police blotter. The department has a records unit that processes public requests for copies of police reports and arrest records during standard business hours.

To get a Brookhaven police blotter record, call (404) 637-0600 or visit the department. Have the date and location of the incident ready. A case number helps the staff find your record faster. Written requests are the best approach because they formally start the three-day response period under Georgia law. The records unit can give you the exact cost and expected turnaround for your Brookhaven records request.

Note: Brookhaven borders the city of Atlanta along parts of its western edge, so incidents near that line could be in either department's records.

Brookhaven Police Blotter Open Records

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the Georgia Open Records Act covers all public records created by the Brookhaven Police Department. Incident reports, arrest logs, and crash records are all open to the public. You do not have to give a reason for your request. The act treats everyone equally. If you want a Brookhaven police blotter entry, you have the right to ask for it.

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 sets the response time. The Brookhaven Police Department has three business days to respond after receiving your request. Standard copies are up to 10 cents per page. The first 15 minutes of staff search time are free. If a Brookhaven records request takes longer to fill, the department can charge for the extra search time. The rate is based on the hourly pay of the lowest-paid person who can process the request. Most single-report Brookhaven police blotter requests cost only a few dollars.

Exemptions apply under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72. Records from active investigations can be withheld. Confidential informant identities are sealed. But the initial Brookhaven police blotter entry, the log of what was reported, is almost always public. If the department denies your Brookhaven request, they have to specify the legal exemption.

Brookhaven Police Blotter Records

State patrol reports from the Brookhaven area are available through the EPORTS system. Interstate 85 runs near Brookhaven, and state troopers handle incidents on that highway. Crash reports are $5.00 each through EPORTS. Incident reports cost $2.00. Citations are free for the first copy. These records come from the Georgia State Patrol and are filed separately from Brookhaven city police reports.

The GBI Records Request Center handles open records requests for GBI case files. The GBI maintains the Georgia Sex Offender Registry, free to search for offenders in the Brookhaven area. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, criminal history records need the subject's consent except for Georgia felony conviction data. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search shows state inmates, including those convicted in Brookhaven cases.

Brookhaven Police Blotter Fees

Fees for Brookhaven police blotter records follow the guidelines in Georgia law. Standard copies are up to 10 cents per page. Certified copies carry a small extra charge. The DPS fee schedule breaks down what agencies can charge for search time and copies. The first quarter hour of search time is free for any Brookhaven records request.

State patrol reports through EPORTS cost $5.00 for crashes, $2.00 for incidents, and nothing for a first citation. Those fees apply to state trooper records only, not to Brookhaven Police Department files. The city department sets its own rates within state law limits. Call (404) 637-0600 to confirm current costs before you request Brookhaven police blotter records.

Note: Ask the Brookhaven records unit for a cost estimate before they start processing your request to avoid surprises.

Georgia Code and Brookhaven Records

The Georgia Open Records Act and other statutes that govern police blotter access in Brookhaven are found in the Official Code of Georgia. The LexisNexis Georgia Code portal lets you look up the full text of O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 through § 50-18-77 and other relevant sections. This is a free resource for anyone who wants to understand their rights when requesting Brookhaven police blotter records.

Knowing the exact statute text helps if the Brookhaven Police Department questions your request or claims an exemption that you want to challenge.

Brookhaven Area Records FAQ

The EPORTS system FAQ page answers questions about requesting state-level police reports online. The EPORTS FAQ page covers search steps, fees, turnaround times, and payment methods. This is helpful if you have never used the system before and want to pull a state trooper report from the Brookhaven area. The FAQ applies to all Georgia locations, so the rules are the same for Brookhaven as anywhere else in the state.

The FAQ page is a good first stop before you start a search for state patrol records from the Brookhaven area.

Nearby Cities

These cities are close to Brookhaven. Each one keeps its own police blotter records. If an incident happened near a city border, the report could be with a neighboring department instead of Brookhaven police.