Access Chatham County Police Blotter

Chatham County police blotter records document all law enforcement activity across Georgia's fifth most populous county. Savannah is the county seat and the largest city. The Chatham County Sheriff's Office, the Savannah Police Department, and the Pooler Police Department all generate police blotter records in this area. Each agency logs its own arrests, incidents, and calls for service. If you need to search blotter records from Chatham County, the agency you contact depends on where the incident took place. Georgia open records law makes these records available to anyone who requests them.

Chatham County Police Blotter Office

Sheriff Richard Coleman runs the Chatham County Sheriff's Office from Savannah. This office handles jail operations, courthouse security, warrant service, and patrol of unincorporated areas. The sheriff's police blotter captures arrests from the jail and warrants served across Chatham County. Booking records show every person brought into the county jail, regardless of which agency made the arrest. This makes the sheriff's booking log one of the most complete records of arrest activity in Chatham County.

The sheriff's office also handles civil papers, evictions, and protective order service. These records are separate from the criminal police blotter but still public. If you need arrest data specifically, ask for the booking log or the daily blotter. The office stores years of records and can pull older files on request.

Police Blotter Agencies in Chatham County

Chatham County has multiple law enforcement agencies that each keep their own police blotter. The Savannah Police Department handles all incidents within Savannah city limits. They are the largest force in the county and generate the most reports. The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department was consolidated but the county still has distinct jurisdictions depending on the area. For incidents outside Savannah but within the county, the sheriff's office takes the lead.

Pooler has its own police department that covers the city limits of Pooler. This fast-growing area west of Savannah near I-16 and I-95 sees a good amount of activity. The Pooler Police Department maintains its own police blotter separate from the sheriff and the Savannah PD. If your incident happened in Pooler, that is the department to contact for blotter records in Chatham County.

Other smaller agencies like the Garden City Police Department, Thunderbolt Police Department, and Tybee Island Police Department also operate within Chatham County. Each one logs its own calls, arrests, and incidents. For a complete picture of police blotter activity in Chatham County, you may need to check with more than one agency.

Reading Chatham County Police Blotter

Start by figuring out which agency handled the incident. If it happened in Savannah, call (912) 652-6500. If it was in the unincorporated county, call the sheriff at (912) 652-7600. For Pooler, try (912) 748-7333. Each agency will have its own process, but all of them must follow the Georgia Open Records Act.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, every agency in Chatham County must respond to a records request within three business days. You can ask by phone, in person, or in writing. Give the date, location, and names tied to the report you need. Copies cost up to 10 cents a page. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, a fee applies based on the hourly rate of the lowest paid employee able to do the search.

Note: Chatham County processes a high volume of police blotter records, so allow extra time during peak periods.

Chatham County Police Blotter Records

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 defines public records broadly. All documents kept by a public agency fall under the law. Police blotter entries, booking logs, incident reports, and calls for service from Chatham County are all public records. You do not need to give a reason for wanting them, and you do not have to be a party to the case. The law is clear on this point.

Exemptions listed in O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 apply in Chatham County just as anywhere else in the state. Pending investigation files can be withheld. Confidential source identities stay sealed. Records that could endanger someone are protected. Personal information like phone numbers and birth dates get redacted. But the basic facts of every police blotter entry, including the date, time, location, type of incident, and people involved, remain public in Chatham County.

State Resources for Chatham County

I-16 ends in Savannah and I-95 passes through Chatham County. Both highways see heavy traffic, and the Georgia State Patrol works many incidents along these corridors. State patrol reports are not in the local police blotter. Get them through the EPORTS online portal. Crash reports cost $5.00, incident reports cost $2.00, and the first citation is free.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation supports Chatham County on major cases. Their records request portal is open for public filings. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, criminal history records beyond Georgia felony convictions require the person's consent. But police blotter data from Chatham County is available without consent. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists all 159 county sheriffs for quick reference.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search helps track people arrested in Chatham County who ended up in state prison. The GBI tip line at (800) 597-8477 accepts anonymous crime tips for state-level matters.

What Chatham County Blotter Data Shows

A police blotter entry from Chatham County includes the date and time, the location, a description of the incident, and the parties involved. Arrest records add booking details like charges, bond amounts, and physical descriptions. Incident reports go deeper with witness statements, officer observations, and evidence notes. Together, these records tell the full story of law enforcement activity across Chatham County.

The volume of records in Chatham County is substantial given the population. Savannah alone generates hundreds of police blotter entries each week. The sheriff's booking log adds county-wide arrest data on top of that. If you are looking for a specific event, try to narrow your request with a date, location, or name. This helps the agency find your record faster and cuts down on the search time fees.

Cities in Chatham County

Chatham County includes Savannah and several other cities. Savannah and Pooler each have their own police departments with separate police blotter records. For incidents in these cities, contact the city police department directly.

Other communities in Chatham County include Garden City, Thunderbolt, Tybee Island, Bloomingdale, and Port Wentworth. All of these fall within the county but may have their own police departments for local blotter records.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Chatham County. If an incident took place near the county line, the report may be on file at a neighboring agency. Always confirm the right jurisdiction before requesting records.