Search Chamblee Police Blotter

Chamblee police blotter records track every incident report, arrest, and call for service handled by the Chamblee Police Department in DeKalb County, Georgia. This city of about 32,300 residents sits inside the I-285 perimeter northeast of Atlanta and has its own full-service police department. The Chamblee Police Department maintains police blotter files for everything that happens within city limits, while DeKalb County agencies cover the surrounding unincorporated areas. Georgia law makes these police blotter records open to the public, and you can request copies through several channels.

Chamblee Records in DeKalb County

Chamblee sits entirely within DeKalb County, and the two jurisdictions share law enforcement responsibilities in different ways. The Chamblee Police Department covers calls inside city limits. The DeKalb County Police Department patrols unincorporated areas around the city. When someone is arrested in Chamblee, they may be processed at the Chamblee police station or transferred to the DeKalb County jail. Either way, both sets of police blotter records are public under Georgia law.

The DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court holds court records tied to criminal cases that start with a Chamblee arrest. Once a case moves past the police blotter stage into the court system, filings and hearing dates show up in the county court records. DeKalb County's court system handles cases from Chamblee alongside those from other cities like Brookhaven, Dunwoody, and Tucker. If you need records beyond the initial Chamblee police blotter entry, checking DeKalb County court records is the next step.

DeKalb County also has its own solicitor's office that prosecutes misdemeanor cases from Chamblee.

Chamblee Police Blotter Records

The Chamblee Police Department handles all police blotter records for incidents inside the city. The department responds to calls ranging from minor theft and noise complaints to more serious crimes. Each incident that generates a written report becomes part of the Chamblee police blotter. Officers create incident reports, arrest records, and accident reports that are stored by the records division and made available to the public under Georgia law.

Contact the Chamblee Police Department at (770) 986-5000 to request police blotter records. You can call ahead to check if your report is ready or visit in person during business hours. Having a case number speeds up the process. If you only know the date and general location of the incident in Chamblee, staff can still search for the record, but it takes more time. The department processes a solid number of reports given Chamblee's location along major corridors like Peachtree Boulevard and Buford Highway.

Highway incidents near Chamblee may involve the Georgia State Patrol rather than local police.

Chamblee Police Blotter Open Records

Every police blotter entry created by the Chamblee Police Department falls under Georgia's Open Records Act. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 defines public records broadly. Incident reports, arrest logs, and booking information from Chamblee are all included. You do not need to give a reason for your request. The law simply requires the agency to provide access.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Chamblee Police Department has three business days to respond once they receive your request. Copies cost up to 10 cents per page. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. If the request takes more time to process, the department can charge based on the hourly rate of the lowest-paid staff member able to handle the task. Most single-record requests for Chamblee police blotter entries are straightforward and stay within the free search time window.

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 lists exemptions. Active investigations may be partially withheld. Juvenile records are sealed. Victim contact information gets redacted from Chamblee police blotter entries before release. But the core facts of what happened, where, and when are nearly always available to the public. Put your request in writing to create a clear record and start the three-day clock.

State Resources for Chamblee

Several state-level tools connect to Chamblee police blotter data. The Georgia EPORTS system handles crash reports, incident reports, and citations filed by state troopers near Chamblee. Since the city sits along I-285 and near I-85, state patrol officers generate a fair number of reports in the area. Crash reports cost $5.00 through EPORTS. Incident reports are $2.00. Citations are free for the first copy.

The GBI Records Request Center takes open records requests for state-level investigative files. If the GBI worked alongside the Chamblee Police Department on a case, their records may have information not found in the local police blotter. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry lets you search for registered offenders in the Chamblee area at no cost. Criminal history records require consent under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34 unless you are only looking at Georgia felony convictions, which are public.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search shows people in state prison after a conviction that may have started with a Chamblee arrest. It does not cover people held in the DeKalb County jail.

Chamblee Police Record Fees

Fees for Chamblee police blotter records follow the rules set out in Georgia law. Standard copies cost up to 10 cents per page. Certified copies add an extra fee, usually around $2.00 per document. The DPS fee schedule lays out what agencies across the state can charge for copy and search time costs. This schedule applies to the Chamblee Police Department as well.

EPORTS fees for state patrol records near Chamblee are set at $5.00 for crash reports, $2.00 for incident reports, and free for citations. These are separate from Chamblee Police Department fees. If both a state trooper and a Chamblee officer responded to the same scene, you would need to request reports from both agencies. For most routine Chamblee police blotter lookups, expect to pay just a few dollars total. The first 15 minutes of search time are always free.

Chamblee Police Blotter Resources

The GBI Records Request Center is a key resource when you need state-level investigative files connected to Chamblee incidents. The GBI does not patrol Chamblee streets, but they assist local agencies on major cases when asked. Their online portal makes it easy to submit an open records request without visiting an office. Response times vary depending on the complexity of what you are asking for, but they follow the same three-day response rule under Georgia law.

Use this portal when you need GBI files tied to a Chamblee investigation.

Georgia statutes define exactly what counts as a public record and how agencies like the Chamblee Police Department must handle requests. The Georgia Code is available online and covers open records law in detail. Knowing the statute numbers helps when you are making a formal request, because citing specific sections shows the agency you understand your rights. The relevant sections for Chamblee police blotter requests are in Title 50, Chapter 18 of the Georgia Code.

This reference covers the open records law that applies to all police blotter requests in Chamblee and across Georgia.

Nearby Cities

Several cities near Chamblee have their own police departments and separate police blotter records. If an incident happened near a city border, the report may be filed with a neighboring agency rather than the Chamblee Police Department. Check the location before requesting records.