Camden County Police Records

Police records in Camden County are managed by the Camden County Sheriff's Office in Woodbine. The sheriff's office is the main law enforcement body for the county and keeps incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and jail booking data on file. Camden County sits along the Georgia coast near the Florida border and includes Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, which adds a unique dimension to local law enforcement. Public access to Camden County police records is governed by the Georgia Open Records Act, giving anyone the right to request and copy most records held by the sheriff's office.

Camden County Sheriff's Office Details

Sheriff Kevin Chaney leads the Camden County Sheriff's Office. The department provides patrol, investigation, and detention services for the entire county. The mailing address is PO Box 699, Woodbine, GA 31569, and the main phone line is (912) 510-5100. Records requests are handled by the administrative staff during business hours. Walk-ins are welcome at the Woodbine office. Call ahead to confirm hours, especially around holidays.

The cities of Kingsland, St. Marys, and Woodbine each have their own police departments. If the incident you are looking into happened within one of those city limits, you may need to contact the city police rather than the sheriff's office. The sheriff covers the unincorporated areas and provides backup for the smaller departments when needed. Camden County has a sizable population spread across several communities, so knowing which agency responded is important for finding the right records.

Note: Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base has its own federal law enforcement, so incidents on base are handled by military police, not the Camden County Sheriff's Office.

How to Request Camden County Police Records

Georgia law under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 gives the public the right to access police records held by the Camden County Sheriff's Office. To make a request, contact the office with the details of the record you need. A case number is ideal. A date and a name will also work. The clearer your request, the faster staff can locate the file. Vague or overly broad requests tend to slow things down and may cost more in search fees.

You can request records in person, by phone, or by mail. Written requests are recommended because they create a clear record of what was asked and when. Send your letter to the PO Box address or hand deliver it to the Woodbine office. Include your name, a phone number, and a detailed description of the records you want. The Camden County Sheriff's Office has three business days to respond under O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. That initial response could be the records themselves or a notice explaining when they will be ready.

Fees for copies are set by state law. You pay $0.10 per page for copies. The first quarter hour of search time costs nothing. After that, the agency can bill for the time it takes to locate and retrieve your records. If total charges will go past $25, the office has to notify you so you can decide how to proceed. You can always narrow the request to cut costs.

Types of Police Reports in Camden County

The Camden County Sheriff's Office generates and maintains several categories of police records. Incident reports are filed each time a deputy responds to a call. These cover thefts, assaults, property crimes, disturbances, and other events. Each report gets a unique case number and includes a narrative from the responding officer along with details about the location, time, and people involved.

Arrest records document bookings at the county jail. They list the charges, the arresting deputy's name, and bond information. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, initial arrest reports are open to the public. The same goes for initial incident reports. Even during an active investigation, those first reports are available. The sheriff's office may redact certain details from investigation files, but the initial documentation stays public. Protected data like Social Security numbers is blacked out before release.

Crash reports are another common request. If a Camden County deputy handled a vehicle accident, the report is at the sheriff's office. If a state trooper responded, you will need to check the state system. The Georgia State Patrol covers I-95, which runs through Camden County, so interstate crashes typically end up in the EPORTS database rather than at the county level.

State and Online Resources for Camden County

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

I-95 runs straight through Camden County, so a large number of highway crash reports end up in this system. Each report costs $5 to download. You can search by date, location, or the names of those involved.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation handles open records for cases where the GBI assisted local agencies. If the GBI was involved in a Camden County investigation, their records are obtained through the GBI's own process. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association provides a full directory of county sheriffs, including Camden County, with updated contact information.

For crash reports from participating agencies, the BuyCrash portal by LexisNexis may have Camden County records. It is a secondary option worth checking if you cannot find your report through the sheriff's office or EPORTS.

Note: Crashes on I-95 through Camden County are almost always handled by the Georgia State Patrol, so start with EPORTS for those reports.

Camden County Open Records Rights

The Georgia Open Records Act protects your right to get police records from Camden County. If the sheriff's office denies your request, they have to give you the reason in writing. Common exemptions include active investigation files, juvenile records, and information that could put someone at risk. But even when an exemption applies to part of a record, the office must release the non-exempt portions. They redact the protected parts and hand over the rest.

If you believe a denial is wrong, you can go to court. O.C.G.A. 50-18-73 allows you to file a complaint in superior court. The judge reviews the matter and can order the records released. If the court finds the agency violated the law, you may get your attorney fees covered. Most disputes get resolved with a follow-up call or letter, though. Going to court is a last resort that usually is not needed when both sides communicate clearly.

Nearby County Police Records

Camden County is in the far southeast corner of Georgia, bordering Florida to the south. If an incident happened near a county boundary, the records could be held by a neighboring agency.