Terrell County Police Blotter Records
Terrell County police blotter records include arrests, crime reports, and incident logs maintained by the sheriff's office in Dawson. Sheriff John Bowens leads the department that serves as the sole law enforcement agency for this rural southwest Georgia county. Searching for police blotter data from Terrell County starts with the sheriff's office, but you can also use state databases and the Georgia Open Records Act to find what you need. The information below walks you through each method and explains what to expect when requesting police blotter records from Terrell County.
Terrell County Quick Facts
Terrell County Police Blotter Office
Sheriff John Bowens heads the Terrell County Sheriff's Office at PO Box 588 in Dawson. The phone number is (229) 995-4488. This office handles all law enforcement duties for Terrell County. Every arrest, traffic call, crime report, and incident log passes through the sheriff's department. Deputies patrol the county and file their reports at this location, creating the police blotter that the public can access.
Terrell County covers a wide area of rural farmland in southwest Georgia. The community around Dawson is small, and the sheriff's office works without a separate municipal police force for most of the county. That puts all police blotter entries in one place, which makes searching for records from Terrell County more direct than in counties with multiple agencies. Visit during business hours or call ahead to check on specific records.
| Office | Terrell County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | PO Box 588, Dawson, GA 39842 |
| Phone | (229) 995-4488 |
| Sheriff | John Bowens |
Terrell County Police Blotter Records
Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 makes police blotter records from Terrell County available to anyone. The law covers arrest reports, incident logs, booking records, and any other document the sheriff creates or keeps. No residency requirement. No need to state a reason.
Mail your written request to PO Box 588, Dawson, GA 39842 or hand it to office staff. The Terrell County Sheriff's Office must respond within three business days per O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. Standard copies cost up to 10 cents a page. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. Beyond that, the fee is the lowest-paid employee's hourly rate. Written requests trigger the three-day deadline and provide a record of your ask. Active cases are exempt under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72. Initial police blotter entries from Terrell County are usually public.
State Police Blotter Access for Terrell County
Georgia State Patrol troopers cover state highways in Terrell County. Their police blotter records go to the Department of Public Safety. Use the EPORTS online portal to request them. Crash reports cost $5.00. Incident reports are $2.00. First citations are free. Reports take three to five business days after the event.
The GBI supports Terrell County law enforcement on major cases. File open records requests through the GBI Records Request Center. The sex offender registry is free to search for offenders in the area. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, Georgia felony conviction records are public. The GBI tip line at (800) 597-8477 takes crime tips for Terrell County and all other Georgia counties.
Access EPORTS for Terrell County state patrol police blotter records.
Create an account or log in to request state patrol records covering Terrell County.
Offender Lookup for Terrell County
The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search shows state prison inmates from Terrell County. Search by name to find records and photos. This system covers state facilities but not the Terrell County jail or federal prisons.
For people held in the Terrell County jail, call (229) 995-4488. Staff can tell you who is in custody, what charges they face, and whether bond has been set. These booking records are part of the police blotter and are public under Georgia law.
Reading Terrell County Police Reports
Each police blotter entry from Terrell County lists the date, time, and place of the incident. It includes a description of what happened. Arrest reports show the person's name and charges. The responding deputy is identified. These standard details appear in every report filed by the Terrell County Sheriff's Office.
Georgia law mandates redaction of certain personal information before release. Phone numbers, day and month of birth, and medical details are removed from public copies. The redacted version from Terrell County is what you get. Parties to a case and their attorneys may access fuller records under certain conditions. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory helps verify contact info for the Terrell County Sheriff's Office.
Terrell County Record Fees
Record fees in Terrell County follow state guidelines. Standard copies cost up to 10 cents per page. Certified copies add $2.00. The first quarter hour of search time is free. The DPS fee schedule outlines the full range. EPORTS charges $5.00 for crash reports and $2.00 for incident reports from state patrol activity in Terrell County.
Call (229) 995-4488 before your visit to confirm fees at the Terrell County Sheriff's Office.
Nearby Counties
These counties share borders with Terrell County. Check both agencies for incidents near a county line.