Brown County Police Blotter Database

Brown County police blotter records are maintained by the Brown County Sheriff's Office in Nashville, Indiana. Brown County is a small, densely forested county in south-central Indiana with a permanent population of about 15,000. The Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. This page explains how to request police blotter records, incident reports, and other public safety data in Brown County.

Brown County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Brad Stogsdill leads the Brown County Sheriff's Office, located at 55 State Road 46 East in Nashville (P.O. Box 95). The Sheriff's Office handles police blotter records and incident reports for all of Brown County. Brown County has no large incorporated cities, which means the Sheriff's Office covers essentially the entire county for law enforcement purposes. If an incident occurred in Brown County, the Sheriff's Office almost certainly holds the relevant police blotter record.

The Brown County Sheriff's Office is NIBRS-compliant, meaning it reports crime data in the standardized National Incident-Based Reporting System format used by the Indiana State Police for statewide data collection. This helps track crime trends across Indiana. However, for individual incident reports, you must contact the Sheriff's Office directly. The county website at browncounty-in.gov has contact information and a public records request form for download.

To get police blotter records from Brown County, download and complete the "Request For Public Records Form" from the county website, then submit it to the Sheriff's Office. You can deliver the form in person, send it by mail to 55 State Rd. 46E, P.O. Box 95, Nashville, IN 47448, or fax it to 812-988-8859. You can also call 812-988-6655 to ask about records and get guidance from the staff on what's available.

How to Request Brown County Police Records

Indiana Code § 5-14-3, the Access to Public Records Act, gives you the right to inspect and copy police blotter records held by Brown County agencies. Police blotter information is generally public. This includes the type of incident, the date and time, the location, and the basic facts. Records for open investigations may be withheld, but completed incidents are typically available. Agencies must acknowledge your written request within seven days and produce records in a reasonable time after that.

The Brown County Sheriff's Office requires a completed Request For Public Records Form, which you can get from the county website at browncounty-in.gov. Complete the form and send it in by mail, fax, or in person. Be as specific as possible when filling out the form. Include the date, type of incident, location, names involved, and a report number if you have one. Specific requests process faster than broad ones.

If you're not sure where to begin, calling 812-988-6655 is a good starting point. Staff can tell you what records exist, whether the report is ready, and what fees apply. Standard copying fees in Indiana are $0.10 per page for paper records. Fees vary and the Brown County Sheriff's Office will tell you what applies to your specific request. There is no record of a published fee schedule for Brown County, so ask before you come in.

Note: Brown County's seasonal tourism population means law enforcement activity fluctuates. During summer and fall foliage season, the county sees significantly more visitors, which may affect records processing times at the Sheriff's Office.

Indiana State Police Resources for Brown County

The Indiana State Police covers state routes in Brown County, including Indiana 135 and State Road 46. ISP Troopers respond to crashes and incidents on state highways passing through the county. For ISP records related to Brown County, use the online APRA portal.

The Indiana State Police website at in.gov/isp is where you start for ISP records. The ISP handles incidents on state highways in Brown County. If a crash or incident happened on a state road, the ISP report may be the primary one. Navigate to the APRA or records section to find the correct form for submitting your request. ISP can be reached at 317-232-8248 during business hours.

Submit ISP records requests online through the APRA portal at in.accessgov.com/isp-apra. This system handles requests for ISP incident reports, accident reports, and other public records from ISP jurisdiction. After submission, you can track your request status and receive documents electronically. This is faster than mailing a written request and works well for accident reports from Brown County state routes.

Brown County Court Records

Police blotter entries in Brown County that lead to criminal charges will appear in the Indiana court system. Use the free MyCase portal to search Brown County court records. The system is at public.courts.in.gov/mycase and covers all Indiana courts, including Brown County Circuit Court in Nashville. Search by name or case number to see charges, hearing dates, and outcomes.

MyCase at public.courts.in.gov/mycase is the Indiana courts' public search tool. It gives you free access to case records from Brown County and all other Indiana courts. If someone was arrested in Brown County based on a police blotter incident, their case will appear in MyCase once charges are filed. This helps you trace an incident from the initial police report through to the final court decision. The Brown County Circuit Court handles both civil and criminal matters for the county.

Crash Reports in Brown County

Accident reports from Brown County are available through BuyCrash.com, the statewide Indiana portal for crash reports. BuyCrash covers most Indiana agencies, including the Brown County Sheriff's Office and the ISP. Reports typically cost $5 for in-person pickup or around $12 online. For newer crashes, remember that officers have up to ten days to complete a report, so recently filed crashes may not be online yet.

If a crash report doesn't appear on BuyCrash, contact the agency that responded to determine when the report will be available. For county road crashes, call the Brown County Sheriff's Office at 812-988-6655. For state highway crashes, contact the ISP. In both cases, staff can tell you when the report is expected to be filed and how to get a copy when it's ready.

Brown County Jail and Inmate Records

The Brown County Jail is run by the Sheriff's Office. Booking records are public under APRA. Call the Sheriff's Office at 812-988-6655 to ask about current or recent inmates. The county website has limited online jail information. The statewide Indiana Jail Lookup at public.indianajail.gov may have Brown County data if the county participates in that system. For the most accurate information, direct contact with the Sheriff's Office is the most reliable option.

Brown County's small population means the jail typically holds a smaller number of inmates than larger counties. The Sheriff's Office is well-positioned to quickly answer questions about who is currently in custody. Booking records from completed cases are public and can be requested through the standard APRA process using the county's Public Records Request Form.

Cities and Towns in Brown County

Nashville is the county seat and largest community in Brown County. It serves as a regional arts and tourism destination. Other small communities include Gnaw Bone, Bean Blossom, and Story. None of these communities exceed 25,000 residents and none have dedicated pages on this site. For police blotter records from anywhere in Brown County, the Sheriff's Office is the primary point of contact.

Nashville has a Town Marshal's office that handles local law enforcement for incidents inside the town limits. Contact the Brown County Sheriff's Office for help locating the correct agency if you're not sure who responded to a specific incident.

Nearby Counties

Brown County is a small county bordered by Monroe, Morgan, Johnson, Bartholomew, and Jackson Counties. For incidents near these county lines, check which agency responded before sending a records request.