Jeff Davis County Police Blotter Search

Jeff Davis County police blotter records track every arrest, incident report, and crime log from law enforcement in this southeast Georgia county. Sheriff Preston Bohannon runs the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office from Hazlehurst, the county seat. Whether you need to look up a recent arrest or find an older incident report, the sheriff's office and several state-level tools give you ways to search police blotter data from Jeff Davis County. Georgia's Open Records Act ensures public access to these files, and this page covers how to get them.

Jeff Davis County Police Blotter Office

The Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office is the main agency that creates and stores police blotter records for the area. Sheriff Preston Bohannon can be reached at PO Box 237, Hazlehurst, GA 31539, or by calling (912) 375-6600. All crime reports, arrest logs, and incident records from Jeff Davis County deputies flow through this office. You can make a request in person during business hours or send one by mail.

Georgia law backs your right to these records. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 defines public records broadly enough to include every police blotter entry the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office creates. The response deadline is three business days under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. Copies run up to 10 cents per page, and the first 15 minutes of staff search time are on the house. After that, fees track the hourly rate of the lowest-paid staffer who can handle the task. Most police blotter requests in Jeff Davis County get processed quickly.

State Highway Reports in Jeff Davis County

Georgia State Patrol troopers work the state roads and highways that pass through Jeff Davis County. When a trooper handles a crash, a traffic stop, or a roadside arrest, the report goes into the state system. These records are different from what the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office keeps. The EPORTS online portal is how you get copies of state patrol police blotter entries.

Pricing through EPORTS is set by the state. Crash reports cost $5.00. Incident reports are $2.00. Citations are free for the first one, then $1.00 each for additional ones pulled within 24 hours. Reports usually become available three to five business days after the incident. For anything that happened on a state highway in Jeff Davis County, EPORTS is usually the fastest way to get the police blotter record. Submit online, get an email, and download.

This system handles state patrol records only. For Jeff Davis County sheriff records, contact the local office directly.

Jeff Davis County Police Blotter Records

The Georgia Open Records Act gives everyone the right to request police blotter records from Jeff Davis County. There is no residency requirement. You do not have to be from Hazlehurst or Jeff Davis County to ask. The law covers all types of public documents including arrest reports, booking records, incident logs, and call records.

Exemptions apply in certain situations. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 protects records from active investigations and pending prosecutions in Jeff Davis County. Confidential informant names are shielded. Information that could endanger someone's safety gets held back too. But the basic police blotter entry for a reported crime or arrest is public in almost every case. That initial incident report with the core facts is available even when other parts of the case file remain sealed. To request records, write to the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office or call (912) 375-6600.

Jeff Davis County Police Blotter Data

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation provides statewide support that includes Jeff Davis County. The GBI steps in on complex investigations and maintains crime databases at the state level. You can submit open records requests to the GBI Records Request Center for any case where the bureau was involved in Jeff Davis County.

Criminal history records have their own rules. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, pulling someone's criminal history requires their consent unless you are only looking at Georgia felony convictions. Those stay public. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is free to search and covers offenders registered in Jeff Davis County. You can also use the GBI tip line to report information about unsolved crimes in Jeff Davis County.

Note: GBI crime statistics are currently not accessible online, though Jeff Davis County data still flows into the statewide reporting program.

Offender Lookup for Jeff Davis County

The Georgia Department of Corrections maintains a search tool for people serving time in state prisons. The GDC offender query lets you search by name and shows photos when available. This tool covers state prison inmates only, not anyone currently held in the Jeff Davis County jail.

For people in the Jeff Davis County jail right now, contact the sheriff at (912) 375-6600. Staff can tell you about current inmates and their charges. Booking data and arrest records are part of the police blotter. They are public under Georgia law. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory can help you verify that you have the right phone number and address for the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office before you make the call.

Jeff Davis County Record Fees

Police blotter record fees in Jeff Davis County follow state guidelines. Standard copies cost up to 10 cents per page. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, fees are based on the hourly rate of the lowest-paid qualified employee at the sheriff's office. Certified copies add $2.00 to the base cost.

State patrol records from highways in Jeff Davis County are priced separately through EPORTS. Crash reports are $5.00 and incident reports are $2.00. The DPS fee schedule page breaks down what Georgia law enforcement agencies can charge for open records requests. Jeff Davis County may have its own specific rates for certain records, so calling ahead is always a good idea.

Nearby Counties

Jeff Davis County shares borders with several other Georgia counties. If you need police blotter records from an incident near the county line, check jurisdiction with both offices to make sure you contact the right one.