Search Cobb County Police Blotter

Cobb County police blotter records cover one of the most populated counties in Georgia, with over 770,000 residents spread across cities like Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, and Mableton. Sheriff Craig Owens leads the Cobb County Sheriff's Office, which keeps arrest logs, incident reports, and booking data for the unincorporated areas and county jail. Whether you need to search for a recent arrest, pull a crash report, or look up crime data in Cobb County, several local and state resources make these police blotter records available to the public. The Georgia Open Records Act protects your right to access these files, and you can request them in person, by phone, or through online portals that serve Cobb County.

Cobb County Police Blotter Office

The Cobb County Sheriff's Office is your main contact for police blotter records in the county. Sheriff Craig Owens runs the office from 185 Roswell Street in Marietta. The phone number is (770) 499-4611. This office handles all arrests made by sheriff's deputies, manages the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, and keeps booking records for every person processed through the jail. If someone was picked up in unincorporated Cobb County, the arrest report starts here.

Cobb County is large enough that multiple agencies handle law enforcement. The Cobb County Police Department patrols unincorporated areas too, but the sheriff's office runs the jail and serves civil papers. Both agencies create police blotter records. The cities of Marietta, Smyrna, and Kennesaw each have their own police departments that generate separate reports. If you are not sure which agency handled an incident in Cobb County, start with the sheriff's office. Staff can point you in the right direction.

Walk-in requests are taken during normal business hours at the Marietta office. Bring your ID.

Cobb County Police Blotter Open Records

Georgia's Open Records Act gives you the right to request police blotter entries from any agency in Cobb County. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, all documents that an agency creates or keeps are considered public records. This includes arrest reports, incident logs, and booking sheets from the Cobb County Sheriff's Office. You do not need to explain why you want them. Anyone can ask.

The agency has three business days to respond to your request under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. In Cobb County, the sheriff's office typically processes routine police blotter requests within that window. Copies run up to 10 cents a page for letter or legal size. The first quarter hour of search time is free. After that, you may be charged at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid person who can handle the work. For a single incident report in Cobb County, the total cost is usually under a few dollars.

There are limits. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 exempts records from active investigations or pending cases. If the Cobb County Sheriff's Office has an open case, they can withhold parts of the file that might compromise the work. Confidential informant names are also protected. But the basic police blotter entry, the initial report of what took place, is almost always open to the public in Cobb County.

Note: Put your request in writing when possible to create a paper trail and start the three-day response clock.

State Patrol Police Blotter in Cobb County

The Georgia State Patrol generates its own police blotter records for incidents on state roads running through Cobb County. Interstate 75 and Interstate 285 both cross the county, and troopers handle many crashes and traffic stops on these highways. Their reports are separate from local agency files.

You can pull state patrol reports through the EPORTS online system run by the Georgia Department of Public Safety. Crash reports cost $5.00 each. Incident reports are $2.00. Citations are free for the first one. Reports are usually ready within three to five business days. For a high-traffic county like Cobb, this system is often the quickest way to get a copy of a state trooper's police blotter entry without going to an office in person.

State patrol records and county sheriff records are filed separately. If both agencies responded to the same scene in Cobb County, each one writes its own report.

Cobb County Police Blotter Data

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation collects crime statistics from all law enforcement agencies in Cobb County. The GBI does not patrol streets. It supports local agencies with lab work, investigations, and data collection. If a major crime happens in Cobb County and local resources are stretched, the GBI may get called in to help. The GBI Records Request Center lets you file an open records request for any investigative files they hold.

Criminal history records are handled differently. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, you need consent from the person whose record you want unless the search is limited to Georgia felony convictions. Felony conviction data is public. The GBI also maintains the Georgia Sex Offender Registry, which you can search at no cost to find registered offenders living in Cobb County. If you see something suspicious, the GBI online tip form is available around the clock.

Cobb County Offender Search

People serving time in Georgia state prisons after a Cobb County conviction can be found through the Georgia Department of Corrections offender search. The tool shows current inmates with photos when they are available. Search by name to find anyone in state custody. This system does not cover people in the Cobb County jail or federal facilities.

For current inmates in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, contact the sheriff's office at (770) 499-4611. Booking records show who is in custody and what charges they face. This information is part of the police blotter and is public under Georgia law. Cobb County processes a large number of bookings each week given its size, so having a name and approximate date helps staff find what you need faster.

Cobb County Police Record Fees

Fees for police blotter records in Cobb County follow state guidelines set out in Georgia law. Standard copies cost up to 10 cents per page. Certified copies carry an extra $2.00 fee. The DPS fee schedule breaks down what agencies can charge for search time and copies.

Through EPORTS, a crash report from a state trooper in Cobb County costs $5.00. An incident report is $2.00. Your first citation copy is free. These fees apply only to state-generated records. The Cobb County Sheriff's Office may charge slightly different rates for its own police blotter records, so it helps to call ahead. The first 15 minutes of search time are free no matter which agency you ask in Cobb County.

Reading Cobb County Incident Reports

A police blotter entry from Cobb County contains several standard pieces of information. The report lists the date, time, and location of the incident. It describes what happened. If an arrest was made, the report includes the person's name, charges, and the arresting officer. A case number ties all related documents together for each Cobb County incident.

State law requires some redaction before police records go public. Phone numbers, the day and month of birth, and medical information get removed from Cobb County reports. The year of birth stays. Addresses may be partially redacted in certain cases. What you get is a version of the police blotter that protects personal privacy while still telling you what happened. If you are a party to the case in Cobb County, you can often get a more complete copy. Lawyers working on related cases may also request less-redacted versions under specific legal conditions.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory can help verify the correct contact details for the Cobb County Sheriff's Office before you submit a records request.

Confirm the sheriff contact info for Cobb County through this statewide directory before reaching out.

Cities in Cobb County

Cobb County has several cities with their own police departments. Each city handles its own police blotter records separately from the county sheriff. For incidents inside city limits, contact that city's police department. For anything in unincorporated Cobb County, the sheriff's office or Cobb County Police handle it.

Other communities in Cobb County include Acworth, Austell, and Powder Springs. All residents booked into the county jail go through the Cobb County Sheriff's Office regardless of which city they were arrested in.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Cobb County. If an incident happened close to a county line, the report could be filed with a neighboring agency. Check the exact location before requesting records.