Search Chatham County Police Records

Chatham County police records are managed by the Chatham County Sheriff's Office in Savannah. As the county seat of Georgia's fifth-most populous county, Savannah is home to multiple law enforcement agencies that generate and store police records. The sheriff's office handles county-level records including arrest data, booking information, and detention records. Chatham County police records are available to the public through the Georgia Open Records Act, and the high volume of law enforcement activity in the Savannah area means the county processes a large number of records requests each year.

Chatham County Sheriff's Office Information

Sheriff Richard Coleman leads the Chatham County Sheriff's Office. The mailing address is PO Box 10026, Savannah, GA 31412. The main phone number is (912) 652-7600. The sheriff's office handles detention, court services, and warrant execution for the county. In Chatham County, the Savannah Police Department handles most patrol and investigation duties within the city of Savannah, while the Chatham County Police Department covers the unincorporated areas. The sheriff's office focuses on jail operations, prisoner transport, and courthouse security.

This is an important distinction that sets Chatham County apart from most other Georgia counties. The sheriff's office is not the primary patrol agency here. If you are looking for incident reports or crime reports from the Savannah area, you likely need the Savannah Police Department or the Chatham County Police Department, depending on where the incident took place. The sheriff's office is the right place for booking records, jail data, and warrant information.

Pooler also has its own police department for incidents within its city limits. Other smaller municipalities in the county may have their own forces as well. Knowing which agency handled the call is the first thing to figure out when requesting Chatham County police records.

Note: In Chatham County, the sheriff's office primarily handles detention and court services, while the Chatham County Police Department handles patrol in unincorporated areas.

How to Request Police Records in Chatham County

The Georgia Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 grants the public the right to access records from all government agencies in Chatham County. This includes the sheriff's office, the Chatham County Police Department, and city police departments like Savannah PD and Pooler PD. Each agency has its own records division. You need to send your request to the right one.

For records from the Chatham County Sheriff's Office, contact them at the address or phone number listed above. Include a clear description of what you need. A case number, a name, or a date will help staff find the right file. Written requests are the best approach because they create documentation that protects both sides. The 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, a cost estimate, or a timeline for completion.

Chatham County is a busy area with a lot of records on file. Complex requests or those that span a wide date range may take longer to process. Narrowing your request to a specific incident, date, or person helps the staff work faster and keeps your costs lower. The volume of records in a county this size means that broad requests can get expensive quickly once search fees kick in.

Chatham County Police Report Categories

Police records in Chatham County come in several forms. Incident reports document calls for service and criminal complaints. Arrest records show who was taken into custody, the charges, and booking details. Crash reports document vehicle accidents. Detention records from the county jail track inmates, their charges, bond status, and release dates. Each type is handled by the agency that created it.

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, initial incident and arrest reports are public records. This applies even during active investigations. The agency holding the record can withhold certain parts of an investigation file if releasing them would jeopardize the case. But the initial report is always available. Personal data such as Social Security numbers is removed before any records are released. Chatham County agencies follow the same redaction rules as all Georgia law enforcement offices.

Crash reports in the Savannah area may come from several different agencies. The Savannah Police Department handles most city crashes. The Chatham County Police Department covers the unincorporated areas. The Georgia State Patrol handles some highway crashes. For crashes on I-16, I-95, or other major routes in the county, check the state EPORTS system as well.

State and Online Resources for Chatham County

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

With both I-16 and I-95 running through or near Chatham County, a significant number of highway crash reports end up in the EPORTS system. Each report costs $5 to download, and you can search by date or location.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation handles its own open records for cases where the GBI was involved in Chatham County. Major investigations or cases that crossed jurisdictional lines may result in GBI records that are separate from local agency files. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association has an up-to-date directory of all Georgia sheriffs, including Chatham County. The BuyCrash portal by LexisNexis provides another way to search for crash reports filed by participating agencies in the area.

Chatham County Records Fees

Fees for police records in Chatham County follow Georgia law. Copies are $0.10 per page. Search time is free for the first quarter hour. After that, the agency can charge the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee able to do the work. If estimated fees go past $25, the office tells you before proceeding. You can approve, revise, or cancel your request at that point.

Given the size of Chatham County's records systems, large or broad requests can add up in cost. Be as specific as you can when making your request. A single case number or a narrow date range keeps the search time down. You can also inspect records at the office for free if you just need to look at the file without getting copies. This option is especially useful when you are not sure exactly which records you need and want to browse before committing to copies.

If the sheriff's office or any other Chatham County agency denies your request, they have to explain why in writing. You can challenge the denial in superior court under O.C.G.A. 50-18-73. The court can order the records released and may require the agency to cover your attorney fees if you prevail. This legal remedy exists to make sure agencies follow the Open Records Act properly.

Nearby County Police Records

Chatham County borders a few counties along the Georgia coast. If an incident happened near the county boundary, the records may be held by an adjacent sheriff's office. Check the links below for neighboring counties.