Gordon County Police Records

Gordon County police records are held by the Gordon County Sheriff's Office in Calhoun, Georgia. Sheriff Mitch Ralston leads the department, which serves as the main law enforcement agency for the county outside city limits. The sheriff's office handles incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and other law enforcement files. Calhoun also has its own police department that keeps separate records. If you need a police record from Gordon County, the first step is figuring out which agency handled the call, since that agency is the one that has the file.

Gordon County Sheriff's Office Records

The Gordon County Sheriff's Office is the primary source for police records in the unincorporated parts of the county. Sheriff Mitch Ralston heads the department at 2700 US Hwy 41 NW, Calhoun, GA 30701. The phone number is (706) 629-1244. The office handles incident reports, arrest records, warrants, and booking logs. Staff process open records requests during regular business hours. Walk-in requests are accepted and are the fastest way to get a simple record like a single incident report.

When you request a police record, provide the date of the incident, names of people involved, and the type of report you need. A case number speeds things up. You can make your request in person, by phone, by mail, or in writing. Written requests are generally the best option since they put everything down on paper and create a trail for both sides. The sheriff's office staff handle records requests regularly and know the process well. They can tell you right away if a record exists and what the estimated cost will be.

The Gordon County government website has details on county agencies and services. You can find contact info for the sheriff's office and other departments there.

Note: The sheriff's office is located on US Highway 41, not in downtown Calhoun, so double-check the address before heading out for an in-person visit.

Georgia Open Records in Gordon County

Georgia's Open Records Act controls how police records are handled in Gordon County. O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 says that public records must be available for inspection and copying. Police records are public records under this law. Incident reports, arrest records, and booking data are all covered. You do not have to explain why you want the records. The law does not require it.

Gordon County agencies must respond within three business days under O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. They can give you the records, provide a cost estimate, or issue a written denial with the specific legal basis for the denial. Fees are set by state law. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, the cost is based on the hourly rate of the lowest-paid worker who can do the search. Copies are $0.10 per page. If the total will be over $25, the agency has to let you know before starting the work. These rules are the same for every agency in Gordon County and across the state.

There are limits on some records. O.C.G.A. 50-18-72 lists the exemptions. Active investigation records can be held back. But initial incident reports and arrest reports are always public, even during open cases. Records that could put someone in danger or reveal a confidential informant can also be restricted. Once a case closes and all litigation wraps up, the complete file generally becomes public.

Calhoun Police Department

The Calhoun Police Department is a separate agency that handles law enforcement within the Calhoun city limits. They keep their own police records. If a Calhoun officer responded to an incident, the city department has the report. The Gordon County Sheriff's Office will not have records from Calhoun PD calls. You need to contact the right agency to get the right file.

Calhoun PD follows the same Georgia Open Records Act rules as the sheriff's office. Fees, response times, and access rights are all the same under state law. The process for requesting records may differ slightly in the details, so call ahead to ask about their preferred method. Some smaller departments prefer written requests over walk-ins since it gives them a chance to pull the records before you arrive.

Fairmount and Ranger are small towns in Gordon County that may have their own police coverage as well. For those areas, check whether the town has its own police or if the sheriff's office covers them. If you are unsure which agency handled a particular call in Gordon County, the sheriff's office at (706) 629-1244 can usually help you figure it out.

Gordon County Accident Reports

Accident reports are a common type of police record in Gordon County. The county is crossed by Interstate 75 and US Highway 41, which bring steady traffic through the area. The agency that responded to the crash has the report. For accidents on county roads, the sheriff's office is the likely source. For I-75 crashes, the Georgia State Patrol often handles the scene.

State patrol crash reports from Gordon County are available through the Georgia EPORTS system. Submit your request online and the report costs $5. You get an email when it is ready to download.

EPORTS is the official system run by the Georgia Department of Public Safety. If a trooper worked a crash in Gordon County, this is where the report will be filed.

The BuyCrash website is another option. Run by LexisNexis, it lets you search for crash reports by date, location, or names of people involved. Some local agencies upload their reports to BuyCrash for online access as well.

Note: I-75 runs through the center of Gordon County, and state patrol troopers handle many of the crashes on that stretch, so check EPORTS or BuyCrash first for highway accidents.

Criminal Records in Gordon County

Criminal history checks go beyond single police reports. A criminal history shows a person's arrest and conviction record over time, drawing from multiple agencies. The Gordon County Sheriff's Office can share local information, but a statewide search goes through the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI maintains the Georgia Crime Information Center, which stores criminal records from every agency in the state.

The Gordon County Clerk of Superior Court keeps records for criminal cases that went through the local courts. These include charges filed, pleas, trial results, and sentencing details. Court records are separate from police records. They show the legal outcome of a case. The clerk's office at the Gordon County Courthouse in Calhoun handles requests. Between the sheriff's office for police records and the clerk for court records, you can piece together a solid picture of someone's criminal history in Gordon County.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association has a statewide directory of sheriff's offices if you need to contact other counties.

Getting Gordon County Records

There are a few ways to get police records from Gordon County. Visiting the sheriff's office at 2700 US Hwy 41 NW in Calhoun during business hours is the quickest for simple requests. Bring your ID and the details of what you need. Staff can often handle a basic report request while you wait. For larger requests, they will give you an estimate first.

Mail requests go to the sheriff's office at the Calhoun address. Include everything the staff need to find the record: dates, names, type of report, and a case number if you have one. Add your full name, phone number, and return address. Phone requests are accepted at (706) 629-1244 during business hours. Georgia law allows oral requests, but writing things down avoids confusion and gives you proof of when you asked. The three-business-day rule applies regardless of how you submit the request.

Nearby Counties

If you need police records from areas around Gordon County, these neighboring counties can help.