Find Savannah Recent Arrests
Recent arrests in Savannah are made by the Savannah Police Department and processed through the Chatham County jail. Savannah is the county seat of Chatham County and has close to 149,000 residents. The Chatham County Sheriff's Office runs the detention center where all bookings take place. When police arrest someone in Savannah, that person goes to the county jail for processing. You can search for recent arrests and current inmates through the sheriff's website, and court records are available through Georgia's statewide search tools.
Savannah Quick Facts
Savannah Police Department Recent Arrests
The Savannah Police Department is the city's primary law enforcement agency. SPD officers patrol the city and make arrests for crimes that occur within Savannah. The department headquarters is in the downtown area. After making an arrest, officers transport the person to the Chatham County Detention Center for booking. SPD does not operate its own jail facility.
| Department | Savannah Police Department |
|---|---|
| Address | 201 Habersham St, Savannah, GA 31401 |
| Phone | 912-651-6675 |
| Tip Line | 912-525-3124 |
SPD creates the arrest report that documents the incident, the charges, and the circumstances of the arrest. These reports are kept by the department's Records Unit. You can request copies of Savannah arrest reports by contacting the Records Unit directly. The department handles a large number of arrests each year. Savannah is a major tourism destination, which brings a unique mix of law enforcement challenges that other Georgia cities of similar size do not face.
The department has multiple precincts covering different parts of the city. Downtown, Midtown, and the Islands all have patrol coverage. Regardless of where in Savannah the arrest happens, the booking goes to the same county jail. The arrest report stays with SPD, and the booking record goes into the Chatham County system.
Chatham County Sheriff and Jail
Sheriff Richard Coleman runs the Chatham County Sheriff's Office, which operates the county detention center. Every arrest in Savannah goes through this jail for booking. The facility is on Carl Griffin Drive in Savannah. Staff process inmates around the clock, taking photos, recording charges, and entering all information into the booking system. The booking record becomes part of the public jail roster.
You can visit the Chatham County Sheriff's Office website for information about the jail and inmate services. The sheriff's phone number is 912-652-7600. Call this number for questions about someone who was recently arrested in Savannah. Staff can tell you if a person is in custody and provide basic booking details.
The screenshot below shows the Chatham County Sheriff's Office website where you can find jail information and resources for checking on recent arrests in Savannah.
The site lists contact numbers for different jail services, including bonding information, visitation schedules, and the main jail line. If you need to look up an inmate, the website has links to the search tools. Booking information for recent Savannah arrests typically appears in the system within a few hours of the arrest.
How to Search Savannah Recent Arrest Records
Several tools are available for finding arrest records in Savannah. The approach depends on whether you need current jail information or older case records. Start with the Chatham County jail for recent arrests, then move to state databases for anything further back.
The Georgia Crime Information Center at the GBI is the go-to source for a complete criminal history check. It covers all arrests reported to the state system, including those from Savannah. You submit a request with proper identification and pay a fee. The results show every arrest on file for the person across all Georgia jurisdictions. This is the most thorough way to check someone's arrest history.
For court records, the E-Access Court Records system covers cases filed in Chatham County courts after a Savannah arrest. You can search by the person's name or case number to find filings, hearing dates, and outcomes. The system shows whether a case is still active or has been resolved. This helps you track what happened after the initial arrest.
The re:SearchGA portal is the state court records search portal that lets you look up court records across participating Georgia counties. The screenshot below shows the re:SearchGA portal where you can start a records search for Savannah and Chatham County cases.
The portal lets you search across multiple courts at once. Enter a name and see what comes back. Not all counties participate, but many do. For Savannah cases specifically, the Chatham County courts are the ones to check. You can also use the Felon Search tool for felony convictions or the GDC offender search for people in state prison.
Georgia Law and Savannah Recent Arrests
Arrest records in Savannah are public under Georgia's Open Records Act. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 defines what government records the public can access. Arrest reports, booking data, and court filings are all generally open. Both the Savannah Police Department and the Chatham County Sheriff's Office are bound by this law. Some records are exempt, like those tied to open investigations or sealed juvenile cases, but the default rule is public access.
The arrest process itself follows O.C.G.A. § 17-4-27. Officers in Savannah must document the arrest and create a record that meets the requirements of this statute. The information goes into the police report and eventually into the booking record at the Chatham County jail. Every arrest in Savannah produces paperwork that flows through these channels.
Mugshots taken during Savannah bookings are covered by O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19. This statute addresses the use of booking photographs and was passed to combat mugshot websites that publish photos and charge for removal. Law enforcement in Savannah can still release booking photos as part of public records. The law targets the commercial misuse of these images by outside parties.
Restricting Savannah Arrest Records
Georgia allows record restriction for certain Savannah arrests under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37. If you were arrested in Savannah and the charges were dismissed, you were acquitted, or the case was never prosecuted, you may qualify. Record restriction hides the arrest from standard background checks. It does not erase the record entirely. Law enforcement can still see restricted records when needed.
The process involves filing a petition with the Chatham County court where the case was handled. You include the case number, arrest information, and the basis for your request. A filing fee is required. The district attorney reviews the petition and can object if they believe restriction is not appropriate. If the judge grants the petition, the GBI updates the GCIC system to mark the record as restricted.
Convictions from Savannah arrests are not eligible for restriction in most cases. The law focuses on situations where the person was not found guilty. Some offense categories are excluded from restriction altogether, even without a conviction. These include sex offenses and crimes involving minors. Check with a Chatham County attorney if you need to know whether your Savannah arrest qualifies for restriction under current Georgia law.
Note: The Chatham County Clerk of Court can provide filing instructions for record restriction petitions in Savannah cases.
Savannah Arrest Record Resources
The Chatham County Clerk of Superior Court maintains court records for felony and major misdemeanor cases stemming from Savannah arrests. The clerk's office is at the Chatham County Courthouse on Montgomery Street. You can visit to search records, get copies, or file paperwork related to a case. Certified copies carry an additional fee beyond the basic copy cost.
Savannah also has a Recorder's Court that processes certain city-level charges and traffic offenses. Records from this court are separate from the Superior Court system. If the arrest led to a charge in Recorder's Court, you need to check there for the case records. The Magistrate Court handles preliminary hearings and arrest warrants. If a warrant was issued for a Savannah arrest, the magistrate court would have that record on file.
The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory is helpful if you need to reach another county's sheriff about an arrest connected to a Savannah case. Georgia Legal Services provides free legal help to people who qualify by income. The Savannah Bar Association can refer you to local attorneys who handle criminal records and restriction cases. For people representing themselves, the Chatham County Law Library has forms and resource guides available at no charge.
Chatham County Recent Arrests
Savannah is the county seat of Chatham County. All jail bookings from Savannah arrests go through the Chatham County Sheriff's Office. For the full county page with more details on the detention center, booking process, and additional contacts, visit the Chatham County recent arrests page.
Nearby Cities
Pooler is the closest qualifying city to Savannah. It sits just west of the city in Chatham County and uses the same county sheriff for jail bookings.