The Fulton County sheriff’s position is up for election this year in November. In a deep-blue county like Fulton, where President Joe Biden got more than 70% of votes in 2020, the race to watch this year may not be November’s general election, but instead the May 12 Democratic primary – for sheriff.
The incumbent, Patrick Labat, ran unopposed in the 2020 general election but had to defeat four primary contenders and win a runoff before he got on the ballot.
This year’s race has a lot more at stake than just Labat’s reported $189,000-per-year job. Voters will decide whether he or someone else is best suited to address a string of inmate deaths; whether to build a $2 billion replacement jail that Labat has proposed to the county commissioners; and a recent ruling that the sheriff violated a settlement agreement over the treatment of incarcerated women with mental health issues.
The deadline for candidates to register for the primary is March 8, and four candidates have already declared their intent to run: Labat and former sheriff’s department officers Kirt Beasley, James “JT” Brown, and Joyce Farmer.
This all made us ask: what, exactly, is the job description of the sheriff, and when voters head to the polls, what are they specifically being tasked with voting on? We sought the answers.
Although Georgia law designates the sheriff as a county’s chief law enforcement officer, the Fulton sheriff does not lead the Fulton County Police Department, which has its own chief. (Fulton County’s website says this is voluntary, with legislation giving county sheriffs the right to intervene in any law enforcement action in their jurisdiction.)
The sheriff’s main function is to provide security at the courts. As the county’s official jailer, he is also responsible for the health, safety and welfare of the county’s inmates as well as preventing them from escaping. In addition, deputies are responsible for screening people who enter the jails they operate.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has 800 sworn officers and 275 civilian employees, according to its website. In 2023, the sheriff’s office had an operating budget of over $140 million.
Fulton County owns four jails:
- Fulton County Jail, known colloquially as Rice Street, where the vast majority of inmates are housed
- North Annex Jail in Alpharetta
- Marietta Annex
- South Annex Jail in Union City
Fulton County also leases the Atlanta City Detention Center, where all female inmates are housed, from the city of Atlanta. The sheriff is also responsible for providing security to the courts at the Fulton County Justice Center Complex and the Juvenile Justice Center. This includes escorting and protecting jurors, ensuring contraband does not enter the courtroom, transporting inmates to and from court and serving court summons.
