Access Brookhaven Police Records

Police records in Brookhaven are kept by the Brookhaven Police Department, which handles all law enforcement services within the city. Brookhaven is located in DeKalb County and has a population of about 59,400 residents. The city incorporated in 2012 and established its own police department shortly after. All calls within Brookhaven city limits are handled by city officers, and the records from those calls stay with the department. If you need an incident report, arrest record, or accident report from Brookhaven, the police department is the agency that has the file.

Brookhaven Police Department

The Brookhaven Police Department is at 2665 Buford Hwy NE, Brookhaven, GA 30324. The phone number is (404) 637-0600. The department has a records unit that handles public records requests. Officers patrol the city and respond to all calls within city limits. The department handles everything from traffic stops to criminal investigations.

You can request records by visiting the department during business hours. Walk-in requests are common. Bring the date of the incident, the address, or any case number you have. Staff at the front window can pull simple records while you wait in many cases. For requests that involve multiple records or older files, you may need to leave your request and come back or have the records mailed to you.

Written requests are also accepted. Put your request in a letter or email with your name, contact info, and the details of what you need. The records division processes requests in the order they come in. Being detailed helps. If you just say "I need a police report" without dates or details, the search will take longer.

The Brookhaven Police Department website has the latest information on the department, contact details, and links to city services.

Requesting Brookhaven Police Records

The process for getting police records in Brookhaven follows Georgia's Open Records Act. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, all public records are open for inspection and copying. Police records fall under this definition. You do not need to state why you want the records. The law applies to everyone equally, and the department must follow it.

Once you submit a request, the department has three business days to respond. That deadline comes from O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. The response will be the records themselves, a cost estimate for producing them, or a written denial with the legal basis. Most routine requests are handled within that window. If the records are easy to find, you may get them the same day you ask.

Fees are straightforward. Copies cost $0.10 per page. The first 15 minutes of staff search time are free. If the search takes longer, the department can charge based on the hourly rate of the lowest-paid worker who can handle it. They must tell you if costs will pass $25 before going further. A single report rarely costs much.

Note: If you are not sure whether Brookhaven PD or DeKalb County PD handled your incident, check the officer's badge or the agency name on any paperwork you received at the scene.

Brookhaven Crash Reports

Crash reports from Brookhaven are held by the police department when a city officer worked the accident. Visit the records unit with the date and location of the crash to get a copy. The standard fee is about $5. If you have the report number or the officer's name, that helps speed things up.

Some crashes in the Brookhaven area are handled by the Georgia State Patrol instead of city officers. If that is the case, the report is in the state system. You can find those reports through the Georgia EPORTS system, which charges $5 per report. State Patrol troopers handle certain highways and high-speed roads, so it is possible for a crash in Brookhaven to end up in the state system.

The BuyCrash website from LexisNexis is another way to search for crash reports. It lets you search by name or date across multiple agencies. This is handy when you are not sure who filed the report. You enter your info and it shows matching reports from participating departments.

Open Records Exemptions

Georgia law exempts certain records from public access. O.C.G.A. 50-18-72 covers this. Active investigation files can be withheld while the case is open. This protects witnesses and prevents interference with police work. Records that could endanger someone or identify a confidential informant may also be restricted. These exemptions are specific and narrow.

The key thing to remember is that initial incident reports and initial arrest reports are always public. Even during an active investigation, those first reports must be provided. The exemption only applies to follow-up investigation materials. Once the case closes and court proceedings end, the rest of the file typically opens up for public access.

If Brookhaven PD denies your request, they have to put it in writing and cite the specific statute. You can appeal by filing in DeKalb County Superior Court. The court reviews the denial and can order the records released. Attorney fees may be awarded if the denial was improper. This process exists to keep agencies honest about access to public records.

Brookhaven Arrest and Incident Records

Arrest records are public in Georgia. When a Brookhaven officer arrests someone, the report goes into the department's system. It includes the person's name, the charges, the date, and where it happened. Anyone can request a copy. If the person was taken to the DeKalb County Jail, the county sheriff's office has the booking records separately.

Incident reports cover calls that did not result in an arrest too. Property crimes, disputes, vandalism, missing person reports, and more all generate incident reports. Each has a case number and an officer narrative. These are public. You request them the same way you would any other police record.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory is a useful resource if you need to contact the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office or any other sheriff's office in the state. It has current phone numbers and addresses for all 159 county sheriffs.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association maintains a complete directory of every sheriff's office in the state, useful for finding law enforcement contacts across Georgia.

If you need to reach the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office for jail records or booking info tied to a Brookhaven arrest, this directory can help.

Note: Booking records and arrest reports are different documents from different agencies. The police department has the arrest report. The sheriff's office has the jail booking record.

DeKalb County Records

Brookhaven is in DeKalb County. For county-level police records, sheriff records, and jail information, visit the DeKalb County police records page. DeKalb County has its own police department that covers areas outside incorporated cities. The sheriff's office runs the jail and handles courthouse security. Depending on what records you need, you may need to contact one or both of these agencies in addition to Brookhaven PD.

Nearby Cities

These cities near Brookhaven also have police records pages with details on their local law enforcement agencies.

• Dunwoody
• Chamblee
• Sandy Springs
• Tucker