Search Clarke County Police Blotter

Clarke County police blotter records document arrests, incident reports, and calls for service across the Athens-Clarke County unified government. Athens and Clarke County merged into a single government in 1991, so the police department and sheriff's office both serve the same area. The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is the primary patrol agency, while the sheriff's office handles the jail and courthouse duties. Police blotter data from both agencies is public under Georgia law. If you need to find an arrest record or incident report from Clarke County, this guide explains where to go and how to ask.

Clarke County Police Blotter Office

Sheriff John Williams runs the Clarke County Sheriff's Office from 325 E Washington Street in Athens. Under the unified government structure, the sheriff handles the county jail, courthouse security, and civil paper service. The sheriff's booking log shows every person brought into the Clarke County jail, no matter which agency made the arrest. This log is one of the best sources for daily arrest data in the county.

The sheriff's police blotter is separate from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department's blotter. Both are public records. If you want booking data and jail records, the sheriff is your first call. If you want patrol reports and incident details, the police department is the one to ask. Between the two agencies, Clarke County has a complete record of all law enforcement activity.

Athens-Clarke County Police Blotter

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is the main patrol agency for the entire unified government area. Officers respond to calls, make traffic stops, investigate crimes, and handle all field-level police work. Their blotter is the most detailed record of daily patrol activity in Clarke County. It captures incident reports, arrests, citations, and calls for service across the city and county.

Athens is home to the University of Georgia, which means the police blotter reflects the unique mix of a college town and a growing metro area. Weekend nights generate more calls. Football game days bring a spike in activity. The blotter captures all of it. You can contact the police department at (706) 613-3330 for records from the patrol side. The department logs thousands of entries each month in Clarke County.

The University of Georgia Police Department is a separate agency on campus. If the incident happened on university property, you would need to contact their office for records rather than the county police. Their blotter is not part of the Clarke County Sheriff or the county police blotter.

Reading Clarke County Police Blotter

For sheriff's records, call (706) 613-3250. For police department records, call (706) 613-3330. Tell the staff what you need. Give them a date, name, or case number. Both agencies follow the Georgia Open Records Act. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, they must respond within three business days. Copies are up to 10 cents per page, and the first 15 minutes of search time are free.

You can also visit either office in person during business hours. Athens is a walkable city, and both the sheriff's office and the police department are near downtown. In-person visits let you look at the police blotter records before deciding which ones to copy. For large or complex requests in Clarke County, a written request with specific details will get you the best results.

Open Records Law in Clarke County

Georgia's Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 covers all police blotter data in Clarke County. The law says public records include all documents prepared and kept by an agency. You can see them without giving a reason. The agency must respond in three business days. If they need more time, they must explain why in writing.

Exemptions from O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 apply here as well. Records from active investigations can be held back. Confidential source names are sealed. Personal details like phone numbers and birth dates are blacked out. But the core information in every Clarke County police blotter entry, including the arrest charges, incident descriptions, dates, and locations, stays public.

Note: Motor vehicle crash reports in Clarke County require a written statement of need under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72(a)(5).

State Resources for Clarke County

The Georgia State Patrol handles highway incidents near Clarke County on routes like US 441 and the Loop. Those reports are available through the EPORTS system. Incident reports cost $2.00. Crash reports cost $5.00. The first citation is free through the portal.

The GBI provides major case support and maintains the Georgia Crime Information Center. File open records requests through the GBI records request portal. Criminal history data beyond felony convictions needs consent under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists all 159 county sheriffs for easy reference.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search tracks inmates from Clarke County arrests. The GBI tip line at (800) 597-8477 takes anonymous crime tips. The DPS fee schedule shows rates for all state patrol report requests.

Cities in Clarke County

Clarke County and Athens operate as a unified government. Athens is the only major city in the county. Police blotter records for the entire area come from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the sheriff's office.

Winterville and Bogart are small communities within Clarke County that are also served by the unified government's law enforcement agencies.

Nearby Counties

These counties surround Clarke County. Incidents near the border might be in a neighboring county's records instead. Verify the location before submitting your request.