Jeff Davis County Police Records

Jeff Davis County police records are managed by the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office in Hazlehurst, Georgia. Sheriff Preston Bohannon leads the department, which keeps incident reports, arrest records, crash reports, and booking data for the county. Jeff Davis County is a small, rural county in southeast Georgia. The sheriff's office serves as the main law enforcement agency for the area and handles all open records requests. Hazlehurst is the county seat and the largest community, with its own police department that keeps separate records for calls within city limits.

Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Preston Bohannon heads the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office. The mailing address is PO Box 237, Hazlehurst, GA 31539. You can call the office at (912) 375-6600. The sheriff's department covers patrol, criminal investigations, the county jail, and records management. Staff at the main office handle open records requests and can search the system to find the report you need.

When requesting police records from Jeff Davis County, give the office as much detail as you can. A case number is ideal. Without one, provide the date of the incident, the names of people involved, and the type of report you want. Written requests are preferred because they create a paper trail that helps both sides. You can submit your request in person, by phone, or by mail. The staff will search their files and let you know what is available and the cost for copies.

The office also manages the Jeff Davis County jail. Booking records and current inmate data are available through the jail division. These records are public under Georgia law. If you need to check who was booked on a certain date or look up a booking record for a specific person, contact the jail staff.

Note: The Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office uses a PO Box for mail, so call ahead if you need the physical office address for an in-person visit.

Georgia Open Records Act in Jeff Davis County

The Georgia Open Records Act gives you the right to access police records from Jeff Davis County agencies. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, public records must be open for inspection and copying by any person. This law covers the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office, the Hazlehurst Police Department, and any other government agency in the county. The act is broad. It applies to police records, jail records, dispatch logs, and other documents created by law enforcement in the course of their duties.

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-71, agencies must respond within three business days. The response might be the records you asked for. It might also be a notice saying when the records will be ready and what the fee will be. The law gives agencies some flexibility on timing for complex requests, but they have to keep you informed. Simple requests for a single incident report or arrest record are usually handled quickly at the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office.

The Georgia DPS EPORTS system provides access to State Patrol crash reports from across the state, including Jeff Davis County.

This is especially useful for highway crashes where the State Patrol was the responding agency in Jeff Davis County.

Jeff Davis County Records Fees

Copies of police records from Jeff Davis County cost $0.10 per page. This is the standard rate set by Georgia law. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, the charge is based on the hourly pay of the lowest-paid employee who can handle the search. If the total will be more than $25, the agency has to tell you before they finish the work. You then decide if you want to proceed.

Crash reports generally cost around $5 for parties who were involved in the wreck. The fee may vary slightly depending on which agency holds the report. If you need to pay by mail, a check or money order made out to the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office is usually the best option. Ask the staff about accepted payment methods when you make your request so there are no surprises when it is time to pay.

Inspecting records in person is free. Georgia law allows you to look at files at the agency's office during business hours without paying for copies. If you just want to review a report before deciding whether to get a copy, this option saves you money.

Types of Jeff Davis County Police Records

The Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office stores several types of police records. Incident reports are the most common. They document crimes and calls for service like thefts, break-ins, assaults, and disturbances. Each report includes the date, time, location, names of people involved, and a narrative from the responding deputy. Arrest records show who was booked into the Jeff Davis County jail, the charges filed, and bond information.

Crash reports cover traffic accidents in the county. If a deputy responded, the sheriff's office has the file. If the Georgia State Patrol handled it, the report is in the state EPORTS system. The BuyCrash portal is another place to check for crash reports from Georgia agencies. Not all departments upload to BuyCrash, but some do.

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, initial incident reports and initial arrest reports are always public in Jeff Davis County. Even during active investigations, these basic records must be released. The agency may withhold parts of an investigation file that could compromise a case or endanger someone. But once the case closes and court proceedings wrap up, the full file becomes available to the public.

Note: Dispatch logs and 911 call records from Jeff Davis County are also public records under the Georgia Open Records Act.

Other Law Enforcement in Jeff Davis County

The Hazlehurst Police Department handles calls within the city of Hazlehurst. Their records are separate from the sheriff's office files. If a city officer took the report, you need to contact the Hazlehurst PD, not the sheriff's office. The same open records rules apply to both agencies since Georgia law covers all government bodies the same way.

The Georgia State Patrol operates on highways running through Jeff Davis County. State Patrol reports go through the state system. Use the EPORTS website to request those records. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation may also have records if they assisted with a case in Jeff Davis County. GBI records are requested through their own open records process, separate from local agencies.

If you are unsure which agency responded to an incident in Jeff Davis County, call the sheriff's office. They can usually tell you whether the call was theirs or if you need to try the Hazlehurst PD or another agency. The 911 center also has dispatch records that show which unit was sent to a specific call.

Jeff Davis County Criminal History

Criminal history checks differ from police reports. A police report is about one event. A criminal history check shows a person's full record of arrests and court outcomes across multiple cases. The Jeff Davis County Clerk of Superior Court keeps court records that include charges filed, pleas, verdicts, and sentences for criminal cases in the county. These are public records. You can view them at the courthouse in Hazlehurst during regular business hours.

For records that go beyond Jeff Davis County, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the Georgia Crime Information Center. The GBI stores criminal records from agencies across the state. You can submit a request to the GBI for a specific person's record. It takes more time than a local search, but it covers all of Georgia. Between the Jeff Davis County courthouse and the GBI, you can get a solid view of someone's criminal record in the state.

Nearby Counties

If you need police records from areas around Jeff Davis County, check with these neighboring counties.