Sheriffs’ Offices in Georgia have many responsibilities such as providing courthouse security, operating jails, transporting inmates and mental patients, performing traffic and law enforcement functions, registering sex offenders and many more. Sheriffs are the chief law enforcement officer of each county and have many mandated responsibilities by state law. As a result of these diverse responsibilities, sheriffs must be knowledgeable of best practices and procedures in many areas. Current concerns of law enforcement as they relate to the Office of Sheriff are addressed during training conferences sponsored by the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, Inc.
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis recently returned from the Association’s annual Summer Training Conference held on Jekyll Island, July 27-29. Over one hundred chief law enforcement officers from around the state participated in the three-day event. The sheriffs participated in multiple training sessions, received timely information from high level state officials and conducted Association business.
The conference was devoted to training sessions to update the sheriffs on topics relevant to public safety and the Office of Sheriff. Expert speakers provided training to the sheriffs on legislative and legal issues, social networking, mental health transports, and operations of the jail.
The sheriffs also heard from representatives of the Georgia Peace Officers Standards & Training Council, Georgia Department of Family & Children Services, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and Legal & Liability Risk Management Institute.
‘The services required of the Office of Sheriff in every county of the state are critical to the safety of our citizens and are unlike the mandates of all other local or state law enforcement agencies. During this important training event, 100+ sheriffs convened to identify viable solutions to complex and costly issues facing sheriffs’ offices and local taxpayers. Their participation is vital if we are to seek out the best practices in fulfilling these important responsibilities,” stated Terry Norris, Executive Director, Georgia Sheriffs’ Association.
Other highlights of the conference included the installation of the 2015-2016 officers for the Association. The newly elected officers include: President, Walker County Sheriff Steve
Wilson, First Vice President, Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine; Second Vice President, Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese and, Secretary-Treasurer, Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson. The Honorable Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle presided over the installation ceremony, administering the oath of office to the newly elected officers.
New officers installed for the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes, Inc. included: President, Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy Jarrard; First Vice President, Crawford County Sheriff Lewis Walker; Second Vice President, Wayne County Sheriff John Carter and Secretary-Treasurer, Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum. The Honorable Judge Stephen Scarlett of Glynn County presided over the installation ceremony and administered the oath of office to the newly elected officers.
The Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, Inc. is comprised of 159 elected sheriffs with the support of over 70,000 honorary members throughout the state who recognize and appreciate the service of the constitutional Office of Sheriff and the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes, Inc.