Fulton County commissioners voted on Wednesday to allocate additional funding to staff Sheriff Patrick Labat’s office, following a scathing November U.S. Department of Justice report that cited understaffing as a cause of rampant, unchecked violence at Fulton County Jail. Vice Chair Bob Ellis introduced the resolution, which will support the hiring and retention of new […]
fulton county sheriff
Posted inCapital B Atlanta, Criminal Justice
Fulton County Commissioners Vote No on Sales Tax for New Jail
The Fulton County Commission on Wednesday voted 4-2 not to pass a motion that would’ve directed the office of county management to pursue a sales tax to pay for a new jail projected to cost about $2 billion.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Black Atlanta Votes 2024
After months of hearing candidates’ pitches, voters in metro Atlanta are making their choices for the candidates they want to run courts, prosecutor’s offices, local jails, and various other positions that, while relatively obscure, have a big impact on the lives of thousands of people. In some cases, today’s primary elections will function as the […]
Posted inPolicing
3 Key Takeaways from the ACLU’s Fulton Sheriff’s Town Hall
As the top law enforcement officer in the county, the Fulton County sheriff plays a vital role by operating the county’s jails, providing security to the courts and superior court judges, and managing a $146 million budget, among other duties. However, polling done by the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia shows that Fulton voters […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Politics & Policy
Fulton County Commissioners Freeze Additional Funding to Sheriff’s Office
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners last week paused the reauthorization of double-overtime pay for detention officers and sheriff’s deputies over questions about how the money is being spent. Federal law requires that Fulton County Sheriff’s Office employees are paid time-and-a-half for overtime hours. Sheriff Patrick Labat, who was elected in 2020, has made efforts […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
Know Before You Vote: Duties of the Fulton County Sheriff
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, […]