Jones County Police Blotter Lookup
Jones County police blotter records document arrests, crime reports, and incident data from law enforcement in this middle Georgia county just north of Macon. Sheriff Butch Reece runs the Jones County Sheriff's Office from Gray, the county seat. If you want to search police blotter entries from Jones County, you can contact the sheriff's office, file a written request, or tap into statewide online tools. Georgia's Open Records Act guarantees public access to these files, and this page covers the practical steps for getting police blotter reports from Jones County.
Jones County Quick Facts
Jones County Police Blotter Office
The Jones County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for the area and the primary source for police blotter data. Sheriff Butch Reece can be reached at PO Box 187, Gray, GA 31032, or by calling (478) 986-3489. Deputies in Jones County respond to calls, process arrests, and generate reports that form the local police blotter. In-person visits during normal hours are the most straightforward way to request copies of these records.
Georgia law makes police blotter records public. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 defines public records broadly, and arrest reports, incident logs, and booking data from the Jones County Sheriff's Office fall within that definition. The office has three business days to respond to your request under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. Standard copies cost up to 10 cents per page. Search time is free for the first quarter hour. After that, you pay based on the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee who can handle the request. Written requests create a record and trigger the formal response deadline, which makes them the preferred method for Jones County police blotter searches.
| Office | Jones County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | PO Box 187, Gray, GA 31032 |
| Phone | (478) 986-3489 |
| Sheriff | Butch Reece |
State Patrol Police Blotter in Jones County
Georgia State Patrol troopers work the highways running through Jones County. Their police blotter entries are kept in a state system separate from the sheriff's office. Crashes, traffic stops, and arrests by troopers on state roads produce records you can access through the EPORTS online portal.
Pricing is set by the state. Crash reports are $5.00. Incident reports cost $2.00. First citations are free and additional ones within 24 hours are $1.00 each. Reports are generally available three to five business days after the incident. For police blotter entries from state highway events in Jones County, EPORTS is the fastest route. Submit online, wait for the email alert, then pay and download. It is all done from your computer without needing to visit any office in Jones County.
Jones County sits along I-16 between Macon and Dublin, so state patrol activity in the area can be significant. Check EPORTS for highway incidents and the sheriff's office for everything else within Jones County borders.
Jones County Police Blotter Records
The Open Records Act is the foundation for accessing police blotter data in Jones County. Any person can file a request. Residency does not matter. You do not have to give a reason. The act covers every type of document the Jones County Sheriff's Office produces or stores, from arrest reports and booking sheets to dispatch logs and incident records.
Some limits apply. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 allows the withholding of records tied to active criminal investigations in Jones County. Pending prosecutions can trigger the same protection. Confidential source identities stay sealed under all conditions. Information that could endanger a person is also exempt. The good news is that the initial police blotter entry for most crimes and arrests stays public. That first report covering when, where, what happened, and who was arrested is what most people want from Jones County records. It is almost always available even when the rest of the case file is restricted.
GBI Resources Covering Jones County
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains statewide crime data that includes Jones County. When the GBI assists with a case or runs an investigation in the area, those records become part of their system. The GBI Records Request Center is where you submit open records requests for investigative files involving Jones County.
Criminal history checks follow a different track under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34. Consent is required for most criminal history requests. Georgia felony convictions are the exception and remain public. The GBI manages the Georgia Sex Offender Registry as well. You can search it for free to find offenders registered in Jones County or anywhere else in the state. No special access or fee is needed for this search.
Offender Search for Jones County
The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search tool lets you look up people serving time in state prisons. Search by name and view photos when they are on file. This tool covers state prison inmates only. People held in the Jones County jail or in federal facilities are not included.
For current Jones County jail inmates, call Sheriff Reece's office at (478) 986-3489. Staff can confirm who is in custody and what charges apply. Booking records and arrest data from the Jones County jail are public police blotter records under Georgia law.
Search the Georgia Department of Corrections database for offenders from Jones County.
The GDC database shows current state prison inmates and includes photos when available.
Record Fees in Jones County
Fees for police blotter records in Jones County follow state Open Records Act guidelines. Copies run up to 10 cents per page for standard paper. The first 15 minutes of staff search time are free. After that, you pay the prorated hourly rate of the lowest-paid qualified employee. Certified copies cost an extra $2.00 on top of regular copy fees.
State patrol records from Jones County highways have their own pricing through EPORTS. Crash reports are $5.00 and incident reports are $2.00. The DPS fee schedule has the full breakdown. Call (478) 986-3489 to confirm the Jones County Sheriff's Office fees for local records before visiting.
Nearby Counties
Jones County borders several other counties in middle Georgia. If an incident happened near a county line, both sheriff's offices may have relevant records. Check jurisdiction before you submit a police blotter request.