Butts County Police Records Lookup

Butts County police records are held by the Butts County Sheriff's Office in Jackson. The sheriff's office serves as the primary law enforcement agency for the county and maintains incident reports, arrest records, crash reports, and jail booking data. Located south of metro Atlanta along Interstate 75, Butts County sees a mix of local and highway-related calls. Residents and the public can request copies of police records through the open records process that Georgia law requires all county agencies to follow.

Butts County Sheriff's Office Information

Sheriff Gary Long heads the Butts County Sheriff's Office. The main office is at 835 Ernest Biles Drive in Jackson, Georgia. You can call them at (770) 775-8216 during normal business hours. The sheriff's office handles patrol, criminal investigations, court services, and the county jail. Records requests go through the administrative staff at the main office. They can tell you what is on file and how to get copies.

The Jackson Police Department handles calls within the city of Jackson. If the event you need records for happened inside city limits, you should contact city police instead. The Butts County Sheriff's Office covers everything outside city limits, including the areas around Indian Springs and along the I-75 corridor. Knowing which agency responded to the incident is the first step in getting the right records.

Because I-75 runs through Butts County, the Georgia State Patrol also handles many calls on the highway. Those records are kept in the state system, not at the sheriff's office. This is worth knowing if you are looking for a crash report from an interstate accident.

How to Get Butts County Police Records

Georgia's Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 gives you the right to see and copy records from the Butts County Sheriff's Office. The law applies to police records just like any other government document. To make a request, you need to identify the record you want. Give the staff a case number if you have one. If not, provide a date and the names of those involved. A clear description of the incident helps too.

You can make your request in person at the Ernest Biles Drive office in Jackson. You can also call or send a written request by mail. Written requests are better for keeping a record of what you asked for. The Butts County Sheriff's Office must respond within three business days per O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. That response might be the documents, or it might be a letter telling you when they will be ready. Either way, the clock starts ticking when they receive your request.

Fees for copies are $0.10 per page. The first quarter hour of search time is free. After that, the agency can charge the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee able to do the search. If the total cost will exceed $25, the office has to tell you first. You can then decide to proceed or narrow your request to bring the cost down.

Note: You can inspect records in person at no cost during regular business hours instead of paying for copies.

Types of Police Records in Butts County

The sheriff's office stores different kinds of police records. Incident reports are the most common. They cover calls for service such as thefts, break-ins, disturbances, and other criminal matters. Each report contains the date, time, location, officer narrative, and names of those involved. Arrest records document who was booked into the Butts County jail, the charges, and bond information.

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, initial incident reports and initial arrest reports are always public, even when the case is still active. The sheriff's office may hold back parts of an investigation file that could compromise an ongoing case. But you can always get the basic initial report. When you make a request, staff will let you know if any portions are exempt and explain the reason.

Crash reports are handled differently depending on who responded. If a Butts County deputy wrote the report, the sheriff's office has it. If a state trooper took the call, you need to use the Georgia EPORTS system. For crashes on I-75 through Butts County, the State Patrol usually responds, so check EPORTS first for those.

State Resources for Butts County Records

The Georgia DPS EPORTS system at eports.gamccd.net handles crash reports filed by the State Patrol in Butts County.

This is especially useful for I-75 accidents where the State Patrol was the responding agency. Reports cost $5 each and can be searched by date or location.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has its own open records process for cases where the GBI was called in to help local agencies. If the GBI investigated a crime in Butts County, their records are separate from the sheriff's files. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association website lists every county sheriff in the state with current contact details, which can help when you need to verify phone numbers or addresses for Butts County or nearby offices.

The BuyCrash portal is another tool for accessing crash reports in Georgia. Not all agencies participate, but some Butts County reports may be available through the system. It is worth checking if you cannot locate your report through the sheriff's office or EPORTS.

Note: For I-75 crashes in Butts County, check EPORTS first since the Georgia State Patrol handles most interstate incidents.

Butts County Open Records Process

The open records process in Butts County works the same as the rest of Georgia. You submit a request. The sheriff's office reviews it. They respond within three business days. If the records are straightforward, you might get them the same day or within a couple of days. If the request is large or involves records that need legal review, it could take a bit longer. The law gives agencies some flexibility on timing as long as they keep you informed.

Denied requests are rare for basic police records. But if the Butts County Sheriff's Office turns down your request, they must explain why in writing. Common reasons for denial include active investigation exemptions or records that contain protected personal data like Social Security numbers. Even then, the office should redact the protected parts and release the rest. If you feel a denial was wrong, O.C.G.A. 50-18-73 lets you take the matter to superior court. The judge can order the records released and may award attorney fees if you win.

Nearby County Police Records

Butts County is surrounded by several counties in central Georgia. If an incident happened close to a county line, the report could be in a neighbor's system. Check with the right sheriff's office to find what you need.