Dodge County Police Records Search

Police records in Dodge County are managed by the Dodge County Sheriff's Office in Eastman. Sheriff Brian Robinson leads the department, which provides law enforcement for the entire county. The sheriff's office is the custodian of incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and jail booking data. Dodge County sits in central Georgia and has a rural character with Eastman serving as the county seat. Anyone can request copies of police records held by the sheriff's office under Georgia's open records law, and the process is the same for residents and nonresidents.

Dodge County Sheriff's Office

The Dodge County Sheriff's Office is located at 85 Industrial Blvd in Eastman. Sheriff Brian Robinson oversees the office, including patrol, investigations, the county jail, and records. The main phone number is (478) 559-1130. Staff are available during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Walk-in requests for police records are taken at the front desk. If you know the date of the incident, the names involved, or a case number, have that ready when you visit. It will help staff locate the right file without delay.

You can also submit your request by mail. Send it to 85 Industrial Blvd, Eastman, GA 31023. A written request creates a clear record of what you asked for. This is useful if there is any issue with the response time or if you need to follow up later. Include all the details you have. Staff will respond with the records or a timeline for when the records will be available. Phone calls work for checking on the status of a pending request, but a written submission is better for the initial ask.

Note: The Eastman Police Department handles records for incidents within Eastman city limits, so make sure you contact the right agency.

How to Request Dodge County Records

Requesting police records in Dodge County follows the rules set by Georgia's Open Records Act. O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 gives everyone the right to inspect and copy records from government agencies. The Dodge County Sheriff's Office is covered by this law. You do not need to be a county resident. You do not need to explain your reason for wanting the records. Simply tell the office what you need. A name, a date, or a case number will get the search started. The more detail you provide, the easier it is for staff to pull the right file.

Once the office gets your request, they have three business days to respond. That is the requirement under O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. A simple request for a single report might be filled right away if you walk in and the file is easy to locate. More involved requests that cover several records or broad date ranges will take longer, but the office must at least acknowledge your request and give a timeline within three days. If they cannot find the records, they will tell you. If any of the records fall under an exemption, they will explain which parts are being withheld and why.

Standard fees apply. Copies are $0.10 per page. The first quarter hour of staff time searching for records is free. After 15 minutes, the office can charge an hourly fee tied to the wage of the lowest-paid worker who can handle the task. If the total will go over $25, the office has to let you know so you can decide whether to continue or adjust what you are asking for. Keeping your request focused on specific incidents or date ranges is the easiest way to control the cost.

Dodge County Police Report Types

The Dodge County Sheriff's Office maintains several categories of police records. Incident reports document crimes, disturbances, and other events that deputies respond to in the field. Arrest records capture the details of custodial arrests, including charges and booking data. Accident reports cover vehicle crashes that occurred in the county and were investigated by a sheriff's deputy. Jail booking records track individuals who have been processed through the Dodge County detention facility. The type of report you need depends on the nature of the incident.

Georgia law allows certain exemptions under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72. Records tied to active investigations can be withheld while the case is open. That applies to investigative notes, witness statements in some cases, and other documents that could compromise the investigation. Initial arrest reports and initial incident reports are not subject to this exemption. They are always public. The office must hand them over to anyone who asks, even if the case is still being worked. All copies are reviewed and redacted before release. Social Security numbers, medical info, and certain personal details get blacked out.

Accident reports have additional rules. Crash report access depends on your relationship to the incident. If you were involved in the accident, you can get your report without a Statement of Need. Everyone else must submit a statement explaining why they want the report. Georgia law is strict about this. Valid reasons include insurance claims, legal proceedings, and property damage disputes. The sheriff's office reviews each statement individually before deciding whether to release the report.

State Resources for Dodge County

Several state-level systems may hold records from Dodge County. The EPORTS system from the Georgia Department of Public Safety is where crash reports from the Georgia State Patrol are stored. If a state trooper handled an accident in Dodge County, the report will be in EPORTS rather than the sheriff's office files. Reports cost $5 and can be purchased online.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association keeps a statewide directory of sheriff's offices that includes Dodge County.

You can use the directory to verify contact info for the Dodge County Sheriff's Office or look up agencies in neighboring counties. It is free and available online.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains records for cases where the GBI was involved. Their open records process is separate from the county's. The GBI also manages the Georgia Crime Information Center, which stores criminal history data from all law enforcement agencies in the state. For crash reports from multiple agencies, BuyCrash from LexisNexis lets you search and purchase reports online from departments all over Georgia.

Note: Always confirm which agency handled the incident in Dodge County before you file your request, as both the sheriff's office and the Eastman Police Department operate in the area.

Nearby County Police Records

Dodge County borders several other counties in central Georgia. If an incident occurred near a county boundary, the report might be held by a different sheriff's office. Check the exact location of the incident before filing your records request.