Putnam County Police Blotter Search

Police blotter records for Putnam County are held at the sheriff's office in Eatonton. This central Georgia county has a population around 22,000 and sits between Atlanta and Macon along Highway 441. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office maintains the police blotter with arrest records, incident reports, and daily activity logs. All of these are public records under Georgia law. Searching for blotter data in Putnam County starts with the sheriff's office, though state-level databases also hold records from trooper activity and state investigations that touched the county.

Putnam County Police Blotter Office

Sheriff Howard Sills leads the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. The agency handles patrol, investigations, civil process, and the county jail. Every arrest made by a deputy goes into the police blotter. Same for incident reports and calls for service. Sheriff Sills has been a well-known figure in Georgia law enforcement for years, and his office maintains thorough records of all police activity in Putnam County.

The Eatonton Police Department covers incidents inside the city limits. Outside Eatonton, the sheriff handles everything. Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair draw visitors to Putnam County year-round, and that seasonal traffic adds to the police blotter activity. Boating incidents, property crimes near the lakes, and traffic stops all generate blotter entries. For people looking for a specific record in Putnam County, the sheriff's office on the main road in Eatonton is the place to check first.

How to Search Putnam County Police Reports

Getting police blotter records from Putnam County follows the Georgia Open Records Act. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, public records include documents prepared and maintained by government agencies. Police blotter entries clearly qualify. You do not have to explain why you want the records. Just ask and the sheriff's office will process your request.

Call (706) 485-8557 to start a phone request. Give the records clerk a name, date, or other details about the incident. Simple blotter lookups can sometimes be handled during the call. For bigger or more detailed requests, submit something in writing. Include your name, what you need, and how to reach you. Mail it to the PO Box in Eatonton. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the agency has three business days to respond. Standard copies in Putnam County run up to 10 cents per page. Staff search time past the first quarter hour can be billed at the lowest-paid qualified employee's rate.

You can also visit in person. The office in Eatonton handles walk-in requests during business hours. Bring your ID and be specific about what police blotter records you want from Putnam County.

Note: Putnam County is part of the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit along with Baldwin, Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Jones, Morgan, and Wilkinson counties.

State Police Blotter Data for Putnam County

The Georgia State Patrol files reports through the EPORTS system for activity in Putnam County. Highway 441 is a major route through the area and sees regular trooper stops. I-20 clips the northern edge of the county near Lake Oconee. Reports from these roads cost $2.00 for incidents and $5.00 for crashes through EPORTS.

The GBI Records Request Center handles requests involving state investigations. If the GBI assisted with a case in Putnam County, their portal is where you file the request. The GBI maintains the state's criminal history records through the Georgia Crime Information Center. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, criminal records beyond Georgia felony convictions need the person's consent to release.

The GBI open records submission form shown above lets you file requests electronically for any state-level records tied to Putnam County. It is faster than mailing a letter and gives you a confirmation number to track your request.

Putnam County Police Blotter Exemptions

Georgia's exemptions apply to police records in Putnam County just like everywhere else. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72(a)(4) allows agencies to hold back records from pending investigations and active court cases. The basic police blotter entry with arrest info tends to stay public. The deeper investigative file behind it may be restricted until the case closes in Putnam County.

Motor vehicle crash reports need a statement of need under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72(a)(5). You must show a connection to the accident. Informant names are always sealed. Personal info like phone numbers gets redacted. These are standard rules across all 159 Georgia counties.

Putnam County Offender Search

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search covers anyone from Putnam County serving time in a state prison. The tool is free. It shows booking photos, sentence details, and current facility. People still in the Putnam County jail are not in the state system. Call the sheriff's office to ask about county jail inmates.

The GBI tip form accepts information about crimes online. The phone tip line is (800) 597-8477. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory can help you verify contact details for Sheriff Sills or any other county sheriff in the state.

Cities in Putnam County

Eatonton is the county seat and the only incorporated city of size in Putnam County. The Eatonton Police Department handles city incidents. The sheriff covers the rest of the county, which includes the lake communities and rural areas. No city in Putnam County has a population over 25,000.

Nearby Counties

Putnam County sits in central Georgia between Atlanta and Macon. These neighboring counties share borders and may hold records for incidents near the county lines.