Alachua County Police Blotter

Alachua County maintains police blotter records through the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, which serves unincorporated areas and several cities through law enforcement contracts. The records bureau at 2621 SE Hawthorne Road in Gainesville processes all public records requests for incident reports, arrest records, and traffic crash reports filed by sheriff's deputies across the county. You can search police blotter information online through the City Protect crime mapping interface, request reports in person at the Records Customer Service Window during business hours, or submit requests through the sheriff's office website. These police blotter records include daily booking logs, offense reports, crash reports, and law enforcement activity throughout Alachua County.

How to Access Alachua County Police Blotter

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office Records Bureau maintains all incident reports and traffic crash reports filed by deputies in the county. Visit the Records Customer Service Window at 2621 SE Hawthorne Road in Gainesville between 7am and 7pm Monday through Friday to request copies of police reports. You can also submit requests through the sheriff's online portal at acso.us for electronic processing. Phone requests can be directed to the Records Bureau at (352) 367-4006 for offense reports and in-car video requests.

For simple requests requiring less than 15 minutes of staff time and fewer than 20 pages, there is no fee. Larger requests are charged based on employee compensation rates plus standard copy fees. The sheriff's office accepts payment by cash, credit card with a $1.75 service fee, money orders, or business checks. Personal checks are not accepted for records requests.

Online crime data is available through the City Protect interface at CityProtect.com. This interactive map shows recent incident reports filed across Alachua County. The mapping system updates regularly and allows you to search by location, date range, and incident type. It provides a free way to view police blotter information without submitting a formal records request.

Alachua County Sheriff's Office Information

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office headquarters sits at 2621 SE Hawthorne Road in Gainesville. You can reach the main office at (352) 367-4000 for general inquiries. The Records Bureau handles all public records requests and can be contacted at (352) 367-4006. For jail records and inmate information, call (352) 491-4444. Personnel records are available through (352) 367-4040.

The sheriff's office operates several specialized units. The Records Bureau maintains all incident and traffic crash reports for the entire county. They provide fingerprinting services for $10.00 per set, local criminal history checks for $6.00, and concealed weapon permit fingerprinting for $5.00. Picture identification is required for some records requests, particularly those involving personal information.

Victims of crimes and their next of kin receive offense reports free of charge. This policy helps victims obtain documentation needed for insurance claims, victim compensation programs, and legal proceedings. Bring identification to the Records Customer Service Window to claim your free report if you were involved in an incident.

Where to Find Police Records in Alachua County

Police blotter records in Alachua County come from the sheriff's office and several city police departments. The Alachua County Sheriff's Office serves unincorporated areas and provides contract law enforcement to some smaller cities. Gainesville operates its own police department separate from the county sheriff. Each agency maintains its own records system and public information process.

To request sheriff's office records, visit acso.us/how-to/request-public-records for the online request portal. You can also visit in person at 2621 SE Hawthorne Road in Gainesville during the Records Customer Service Window hours of 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday. Include as much information as possible in your request: incident date, location, names of people involved, and case number if known. Specific requests are processed faster and cost less than broad searches.

The sheriff's office provides public records electronically when possible to reduce costs and processing time. Email addresses provided on request forms are considered public records under Florida law, so they become part of the agency's public files. If you have concerns about privacy, consider using a separate email address for public records requests.

Note: Public records requests require research and review by sheriff's office staff, so same-day completion is not guaranteed.

Types of Police Blotter Records

Alachua County police blotter records include several categories of documents. Incident reports detail calls for service, investigations, and officer responses to crimes or disturbances. These reports contain the date and time of the incident, location, names of people involved, witness statements, and officer observations. Arrest records show booking information, charges filed, bond amounts, and booking photos for people taken into custody.

Traffic crash reports filed by sheriff's deputies are maintained in the Records Bureau. Long-form crash reports contain driver information, vehicle details, crash diagrams, contributing factors, and complete officer narratives. These reports may be subject to the 60-day confidentiality period under Florida Statute 316.066 if they involve personal injuries. During the confidentiality period, only parties involved, their legal representatives, insurers, and certain government agencies can access the reports.

The sheriff's office also maintains records related to concealed weapon permits, fingerprinting services, and local criminal history checks. Background check results show arrests and charges filed in Alachua County. These local checks do not include statewide or national criminal history, which must be obtained through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Police Blotter Record Fees

Alachua County charges fees based on the time and resources required to fulfill public records requests. The first 15 minutes of staff time and the first 20 pages are provided at no charge. Requests that exceed these thresholds are charged based on the employee compensation rate of the staff member processing the request. Standard copy fees are $0.15 per single-sided page and $0.20 per double-sided page.

Payment must be made before records are released. The sheriff's office accepts cash, credit cards with a $1.75 service fee, money orders, and business checks. Personal checks are not accepted as payment. If you request records electronically, payment arrangements will be made through the online portal or by phone before documents are emailed to you.

Florida Public Records Law

All police blotter records in Alachua County are subject to Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes, which establishes broad public access to government records. Under this law, every person has the right to inspect and copy public records unless a specific exemption applies. The sheriff's office must acknowledge requests promptly and respond in good faith.

Some records may be redacted or withheld under exemptions in Florida Statutes Section 119.071. Active criminal investigative information remains confidential until investigations conclude or become inactive. Victim identities in sexual offense cases are protected from disclosure. Home addresses and personal phone numbers of law enforcement officers are exempt from public records.

Traffic crash reports follow special rules under Florida Statute 316.066. These reports remain confidential for 60 days after filing. Unauthorized disclosure during the confidentiality period is a third-degree felony. After 60 days, crash reports become public and anyone can purchase them through the Florida Crash Portal at services.flhsmv.gov/CrashReportPurchasing for $10 per report plus a $2 convenience fee.

Major Cities in Alachua County

Alachua County contains Gainesville, the county seat and largest city in the county. Gainesville operates its own police department separate from the sheriff's office, so residents should contact the Gainesville Police Department for police reports within city limits.

View Gainesville Police Blotter

Nearby Counties

Alachua County borders several other Florida counties, each with their own sheriff's office and records systems: