Smyrna Police Blotter Records

Smyrna police blotter records are maintained by the Smyrna Police Department, which patrols this Cobb County city of about 57,200 residents located just northwest of Atlanta. The department files incident reports, arrest records, and crash data for events inside Smyrna city limits. Smyrna borders Marietta, Mableton, and the city of Atlanta, making jurisdictional lines important when tracking down a police blotter report. You can get Smyrna police blotter entries from the department directly or through Georgia's state online portals.

Cobb County and Smyrna Records

Smyrna is in Cobb County. The Cobb County Sheriff's Office processes jail bookings for people arrested by Smyrna police. When a Smyrna officer makes an arrest, the arrest report stays with the Smyrna Police Department. The booking record goes to the Cobb County Adult Detention Center. Getting all the records for a single Smyrna police blotter entry can mean contacting both the city department and the county sheriff's office.

Criminal cases that start with a Smyrna arrest move to the Cobb County court system. Court records and police blotter records are different things. The police report documents what happened at the scene in Smyrna. Court records track the case from charges through sentencing. For county-level records, see the Cobb County police blotter page.

Cobb County also has its own police department that patrols unincorporated areas. If something happened just outside Smyrna city limits, the Cobb County Police Department may have the report rather than Smyrna PD.

Smyrna Police Blotter Info

The Smyrna Police Department is the city's own law enforcement agency. Officers patrol Smyrna, respond to calls, make arrests, and write reports. Every call that generates a written report goes into the Smyrna police blotter. The records section handles public requests for copies of police reports, crash data, and arrest records.

Call (770) 434-6666 to reach the Smyrna Police Department. You can also visit in person to request records. Have the date and address of the incident ready. A case number makes the search faster. Written requests work best because they start the legal three-day response period. Staff in the Smyrna records section can give you the cost and turnaround time for your request.

Smyrna Police Blotter Open Records

The Georgia Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 makes Smyrna police blotter records public. The act covers all documents an agency creates or maintains. For the Smyrna Police Department, this includes incident reports, arrest logs, crash records, and dispatch data. No reason is required when you ask for a Smyrna record. The law gives equal access to everyone.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Smyrna Police Department has three business days to respond to an open records request. Routine Smyrna police blotter requests are usually handled within that time. Copies cost up to 10 cents per page for standard paper. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After the first quarter hour, you may be charged at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee who can pull the Smyrna records. For most single incident reports, the total cost is small.

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 lists the exemptions. Active investigation files can be held back. Confidential source names are protected. The initial Smyrna police blotter entry, the basic log of what happened, is almost always open to the public. If the department denies your request, they must cite the exact exemption that applies to the Smyrna record you wanted.

Note: Write down the date you submit your Smyrna request so you can track the three-day deadline.

Smyrna Police Blotter Records

The EPORTS online system from the Georgia Department of Public Safety covers state patrol reports from the Smyrna area. Interstate 285 and US-41 both run through or near Smyrna, and state troopers work incidents on those roads. Crash reports cost $5.00. Incident reports are $2.00. Citations are free for the first copy. State trooper reports are separate from Smyrna city police files.

The GBI Records Request Center accepts open records requests for GBI investigations. The GBI keeps the Georgia Sex Offender Registry, which is free to search for offenders in the Smyrna area. Criminal history access under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34 requires the subject's consent unless the search is limited to Georgia felony convictions. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search covers state inmates convicted in Smyrna-area cases.

Smyrna Police Record Fees

Smyrna police blotter record fees follow state law. Standard copies are up to 10 cents per page. Certified copies cost extra. The DPS fee schedule shows what Georgia agencies can charge for search time and copies. The first quarter hour of search time is free for any Smyrna records request.

EPORTS prices are $5.00 per crash report, $2.00 per incident report, and free for a first citation. Those cover state trooper records only, not Smyrna Police Department files. The Smyrna PD sets its own fees within state limits. Call (770) 434-6666 to ask about current costs for Smyrna police blotter records before you submit your request.

Smyrna Area Sheriff Resources

The Cobb County Sheriff's Office processes jail bookings for Smyrna arrests and is based in nearby Marietta. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association website provides contact information for all sheriff offices statewide. Use it to verify the Cobb County Sheriff phone number and address before contacting them about booking records tied to a Smyrna police blotter arrest.

The Cobb County Sheriff handles all jail bookings for people arrested by Smyrna police, so this directory helps you reach the right office.

Smyrna Police Blotter Statutes

The Georgia Open Records Act and other statutes governing access to Smyrna police blotter records can be found through the Justia legal research portal. The Justia Georgia Code page shows the full text of O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the main open records statute. Reviewing this text helps you understand your rights before requesting Smyrna police blotter records.

Knowing the law helps if the Smyrna Police Department questions your request or if you need to appeal a denial.

Nearby Cities

These cities are close to Smyrna and each has its own police blotter records. If an incident happened near a city border, the report may be with a neighboring department rather than Smyrna police.