Find Dougherty County Police Blotter
Dougherty County police blotter records document arrests, crime reports, and incident data in southwest Georgia's largest urban center. Albany is the county seat and home to about 67,000 people, making Dougherty County a hub for law enforcement activity in the region. Sheriff Kevin Sproul leads the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office, which maintains booking records, incident logs, and arrest data for the county. If you want to search for police blotter entries, look up a recent arrest, or request copies of an incident report in Dougherty County, the sheriff's office and state resources are both available. Georgia's Open Records Act gives you the right to access these records.
Dougherty County Quick Facts
Dougherty County Police Blotter Office
The Dougherty County Sheriff's Office is located at 225 Pine Avenue in Albany. Sheriff Kevin Sproul oversees the office. The phone number is (229) 302-3600. This office manages the county jail and all booking records. Every person brought into the Dougherty County detention facility creates a police blotter entry that the office maintains. Deputies also patrol the unincorporated parts of the county and file their own incident reports.
Albany has its own police department that handles most calls within the city limits. The Albany Police Department generates a large share of the police blotter data for the Dougherty County area. But the sheriff's office manages the central booking facility. If someone was arrested in Albany and booked into the county jail, the booking record is with the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office. For incidents outside Albany, the sheriff's office handles everything.
To get police blotter records from Dougherty County, contact the sheriff's office by phone or in person during business hours. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, these are public records. You can ask for them without providing a reason.
| Office | Dougherty County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 225 Pine Avenue, Albany, GA 31701 |
| Phone | (229) 302-3600 |
| Sheriff | Kevin Sproul |
Dougherty County Police Blotter Records
The Georgia Open Records Act applies to every police blotter record in Dougherty County. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 requires the sheriff's office to respond within three business days. You do not need to live in Dougherty County. You do not need to state your purpose. Copies cost up to 10 cents per page. The first quarter hour of search time is free. After that, the county can charge at the rate of the lowest-paid qualified employee.
O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 exempts certain records from disclosure. Active investigation files in Dougherty County can be held back. Confidential informant identities are protected. Material that would endanger someone is also off limits. The initial police blotter entry for a reported crime, though, is almost always available. That basic log of what happened, where, and when is public information in Dougherty County.
Written requests create a paper trail and trigger the response deadline. That is always the safest way to ask for police blotter records in Dougherty County.
State Patrol Police Blotter in Dougherty County
Georgia State Patrol troopers generate police blotter records for highway incidents in Dougherty County. US Highway 19 and US Highway 82 both cross the area. State patrol reports are filed separately from sheriff and police department records.
Use the EPORTS online portal to request state trooper reports for Dougherty County. A crash report costs $5.00. An incident report is $2.00. Your first citation is free. Reports are usually ready within three to five business days. EPORTS handles the whole thing online: request, notification, payment, and download. It is a fast way to get police blotter records for highway incidents in Dougherty County.
Access EPORTS for Dougherty County state patrol police blotter records.
State trooper reports and Dougherty County sheriff reports are separate files even when both agencies respond to one event.
Dougherty County Police Blotter Data
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation collects crime statistics from law enforcement agencies in Dougherty County. Albany is one of the larger cities in south Georgia, so its crime data carries weight in the statewide numbers. If the GBI investigated a case in the county, you can file a request through the GBI Records Request Center.
Criminal history information falls under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34. You need consent to check someone's history unless you are only looking for Georgia felony convictions. Felony data is public. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry lets you search for offenders in Dougherty County at no cost. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search covers people serving state time after a Dougherty County conviction. Tips about criminal activity go through the GBI online tip form.
Note: Dougherty County's crime data flows into the statewide Uniform Crime Reporting program managed by the GBI.
Dougherty County Record Fees
Police blotter fees in Dougherty County follow Georgia's statewide guidelines. Standard copies cost up to 10 cents per page. Certified copies add $2.00. The DPS fee schedule shows what all Georgia agencies can charge for records requests.
Through EPORTS, crash reports from state troopers in Dougherty County are $5.00. Incident reports are $2.00. The Dougherty County Sheriff's Office may have slightly different copy rates for its own police blotter records. Call (229) 302-3600 ahead of time to check. The first 15 minutes of search time at any Georgia agency are free.
Reading Dougherty County Police Reports
A police blotter entry from Dougherty County shows the date, time, and location of the incident. It names the people involved and describes what happened. If an arrest was made, the report lists the charges and the arresting officer. A case number connects all documents for each Dougherty County incident.
Redaction applies before records go public. Phone numbers, the day and month of birth, and medical information are removed from Dougherty County police reports. The year of birth stays. What you get is a public version of the police blotter that protects personal details while giving you the core facts. Parties to the case or their lawyers may request a more complete version. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory can help verify contact details for the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office.
Use the GBI online tip form to report information about criminal activity in Dougherty County or elsewhere in Georgia.
Cities in Dougherty County
Albany is the county seat and the main city in Dougherty County. The Albany Police Department handles most calls within city limits. The sheriff covers the unincorporated areas and manages the county jail. All people booked into the Dougherty County jail pass through the sheriff's office.
Other small communities in Dougherty County include Putney and Pretoria. Police blotter records for unincorporated areas come from the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office.
Nearby Counties
These counties surround Dougherty County. If an incident happened near a county line, the police blotter record may be with a neighboring agency. Check the address before requesting records.