Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Burke County, Georgia, has about 24,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Burke County depends on where the incident happened: the Burke County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Georgia Open Records Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Burke County public records, Burke County arrest records, Burke County warrants, Burke County inmate search, Burke County criminal records, Georgia arrest records and Georgia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Burke County
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
In Burke County that is the Burke County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
The Blythe Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Burke County, so its arrests are not broken out for Burke County here.
Reports from the Burke County Sheriff's Office
The Burke County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 19 violent and 151 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 114 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at burkecountysheriff.com/inmate-inquiry.cfm (page title: Inmate Inquiry | Burke County Sheriff), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Burke County
The three cities the FBI lists in Burke County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Waynesboro: 76 arrests reported for 2023. The Waynesboro police department's page is at waynesboroga.com/122/Police, phone 706-554-8030 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Sardis.
- Midville: 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 arrests reported for 2025.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
How Many Reports: Burke County in 2025
The two agencies in Burke County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 19 violent and 151 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Burke County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 114 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Georgia Open Records Act Requires
The Georgia Open Records Act sets the rules: an answer within 3 business days, at a charge of for search, retrieval and copying after the first quarter hour, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at burkecounty-ga.gov/how_do_i/open_record_request.php (page title: Welcome to Burke County, Georgia).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney, 706-821-1135, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Burke County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Burke County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Georgia Open Records Act the answer is due within 3 business days.
How long does an agency in Burke County have to answer?
Under the Georgia Open Records Act, within 3 business days. It may charge for search, retrieval and copying after the first quarter hour.
How do I get a report from the Burke County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Georgia Open Records Act the answer is due within 3 business days.
Is this the official Burke County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.