Find Calhoun County Police Records

Calhoun County police records are stored by the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office in Morgan. The sheriff's office is the sole law enforcement agency at the county level and handles all incident reports, arrest records, and accident documentation for the area. Calhoun County is a small, rural county in southwest Georgia with a tight-knit community. Because of its size, the sheriff's office handles a relatively low volume of records compared to larger counties, which can mean faster turnaround times on requests. All police records in Calhoun County fall under Georgia's Open Records Act.

Calhoun County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Josh Hilton runs the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office. The office is small but covers the entire county, including patrol, investigations, and the county detention facility. The mailing address is PO Box 211, Morgan, GA 39866. You can reach them at (229) 849-2555. Staff handle records requests during regular office hours. For emergencies, dial 911 at any time. The non-emergency line is best for questions about existing reports or to start an open records request.

Since Calhoun County is small, the sheriff's office is the only place you need to go for county-level police records. There is no separate police department in Morgan. The sheriff's deputies handle all calls for the county, and their reports are all kept at the main office. This makes the process simpler than in larger counties where you might have to check multiple agencies.

Requesting Police Records in Calhoun County

Georgia law gives everyone the right to request police records from the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office. O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 is the main statute that lays this out. You can make a request in person at the Morgan office, by phone, or by mail. A written request is always the safest option because it creates a record of what you asked for and when you asked for it. Include your name, contact info, and as many details as you can about the record you need.

A case number is the fastest way to find a specific record. If you don't have one, give a date, the names of those involved, and a description of the incident. The sheriff's office must respond within three business days per O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. In a small county like Calhoun, turnaround can be quicker since the volume of records is lower. But the three-day rule still applies, and the office has to at least acknowledge your request in that time frame.

Copies cost $0.10 per page. The first 15 minutes of staff time for searching are free. After that, search fees can be charged at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee who can do the work. If the estimate goes over $25, the office tells you before they proceed. You can also inspect records in person for free if you just want to look at the file without getting copies.

Types of Calhoun County Police Records

The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office maintains incident reports, arrest records, and accident reports. Incident reports are written each time a deputy responds to a call. They cover everything from theft and property damage to domestic calls and other disturbances. Arrest records document when someone is taken into custody and include the charges, the arresting deputy, and booking details.

O.C.G.A. 50-18-72 says initial incident reports and initial arrest reports are public records. This is true even when a case is under active investigation. The sheriff's office can withhold parts of an investigation file if releasing them would hurt the case. But the initial report is always open to the public. Protected information like Social Security numbers and medical details are removed before any records are handed over.

Crash reports work a bit differently. If a Calhoun County deputy handled the crash, the report is at the sheriff's office. State Patrol reports go into the EPORTS system. In a rural county like Calhoun, the State Patrol responds to many accidents, so checking both sources is a good idea.

Note: In rural Calhoun County, the State Patrol often handles crash investigations, so check the EPORTS system for accident reports alongside the sheriff's office.

Online and State Resources for Calhoun County

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

Reports from the State Patrol cost $5 each and can be pulled up by date and location. This is the go-to tool for any crash on a state highway in Calhoun County where a trooper responded.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation may have records tied to Calhoun County if the GBI was called in to assist the sheriff's office on a case. Their open records process is separate and goes through the GBI office in Decatur. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association lists all county sheriffs in the state with contact details, which is handy for verifying Calhoun County info or finding neighboring offices.

The BuyCrash system is a third option for crash reports. Not every agency participates, but it is worth a quick search if other channels come up empty. Some agencies in southwest Georgia do use this system to make reports easier to find for the public.

Calhoun County Open Records Rights

Your rights under the Georgia Open Records Act are clear. You can inspect and copy police records held by the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office. The law protects your access and sets rules the agency must follow. If your request is denied, the office must explain why in writing. You can challenge a denial in superior court under O.C.G.A. 50-18-73. The court can order the records released and may make the agency pay your legal costs if you win.

Most denials happen when records fall under a specific exemption. Active investigation files, juvenile records, and certain victim information may be withheld. But the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office has to release everything that is not covered by an exemption. They cannot deny an entire request just because one piece of it is exempt. The rule is to redact the protected parts and hand over the rest. This means you should still get useful information even when an exemption applies to part of the file.

Nearby County Police Records

Calhoun County sits in the southwest corner of Georgia, bordering several other small counties. If an incident occurred near the line between counties, the report may be held by a neighbor. Here are the surrounding counties with police records pages.