Candler County Police Blotter Lookup

Candler County police blotter records track every arrest, incident report, and law enforcement call logged by the sheriff's office in Metter, Georgia. This east-central Georgia county is small but keeps detailed records of all police activity. If you need to look up who was arrested or what happened on a certain date, the Candler County Sheriff's Office is where you start. Georgia open records law makes most blotter entries available to anyone who asks. Requests are usually handled within a few business days, and fees are low for standard copies of police blotter records.

Candler County Police Blotter Office

Sheriff John Miles runs the Candler County Sheriff's Office out of Metter. This office is the main law enforcement agency for the county. Deputies handle patrol, criminal investigations, warrant service, and jail operations. Every call that comes through dispatch gets logged in the police blotter. The blotter tracks arrests, traffic stops, domestic calls, thefts, and all other reports that deputies respond to in Candler County.

Metter is the only city of any real size in Candler County, so the sheriff's office handles a large share of the calls. The blotter from this office gives you the most complete picture of daily law enforcement activity. Records go back years, and the office keeps paper and digital files depending on the age of the report. If you need a specific police blotter entry from Candler County, the staff at the sheriff's office can help you track it down.

Reading Candler County Police Blotter

You can request police blotter records from Candler County by phone, mail, or in person. Call (912) 685-2568 and ask for the records division. Give them the date, location, or name tied to the report you want. They will check what is on file and let you know the cost. Most basic blotter lookups in Candler County are low cost or free if you just want to look at the record in the office.

For a written request, mail a letter to PO Box 693, Metter, GA 30439. Explain what records you need and include your contact details. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the office has three business days to respond. Standard copies run up to 10 cents a page. The first 15 minutes of staff search time come at no charge. If the request is large or requires a lot of digging, the fee goes up based on the hourly rate of the employee who does the work.

In-person visits are another good option. Walk into the sheriff's office during business hours and ask to view the blotter. You can look at records on site and then pay for copies of the ones you need from Candler County.

State Patrol Police Blotter in Candler County

Incidents on state highways in Candler County may be handled by the Georgia State Patrol rather than the sheriff. US 1 and US 301 both run through the county, and state troopers regularly patrol these roads. When a trooper makes a stop or works a crash, that report goes to the Georgia Department of Public Safety. It will not show up in the sheriff's police blotter.

You can get state patrol reports through the DPS EPORTS portal. The system is simple. You submit a request, wait for an email, then pay and download the report. Incident reports cost $2.00 each. Crash reports cost $5.00. The first citation is free, and extras in the same 24-hour period cost $1.00 each. Reports are typically ready within three to five business days after the incident occurred in Candler County.

For anything else from the Department of Public Safety, like dash cam footage or photos, you have to email openrecords@gsp.net directly. Those are not available through the EPORTS system.

Candler County Open Records Rights

The Georgia Open Records Act gives everyone the right to access police blotter records in Candler County. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, a public record includes all documents prepared and kept by an agency. The police blotter is a public record. You do not need to give a reason for wanting to see it. The sheriff's office must produce the records within three business days or explain in writing why they need more time.

Some records are exempt from disclosure. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 protects pending investigation files, confidential source identities, and material that could endanger someone's safety. Personal information like phone numbers and partial birth dates will be blacked out on Candler County police blotter copies. But the core data about arrests, incidents, and calls remains open.

State Agencies and Candler County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation supports local law enforcement in Candler County on major cases. If the GBI gets involved, their records are separate from the sheriff's blotter. You can request GBI case data through the GBI open records request center. The GBI also maintains the Georgia Crime Information Center, which collects monthly crime stats from agencies in all 159 counties.

Criminal history records beyond felony convictions require consent from the person whose record is being pulled. That is the rule under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34. But police blotter entries from Candler County do not need any consent. They are public on their face. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory can help you find the contact for Candler County or any nearby jurisdiction if you need to reach the right office.

For inmates who were arrested in Candler County and sent to state prison, the Georgia Department of Corrections offender search shows current status and facility assignments.

Note: The GBI crime statistics database is currently not available online, but monthly crime data from Candler County is still collected and stored by the agency.

Candler County Records Fees

Fees for police blotter copies in Candler County follow the state schedule under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. Paper copies are up to 10 cents per page. There is no charge for the first 15 minutes of staff time spent searching for your records. After that window, the charge is based on the pay rate of the lowest qualified employee. For a simple blotter lookup in Candler County, the cost is usually very low.

The DPS fee schedule for open records applies when you need state patrol reports from highways in Candler County. Those fees are set statewide and paid through the EPORTS system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Candler County. If your incident happened close to the county line, the report may be filed in a neighboring office. Always check the right jurisdiction before making your request.