Jackson, Lankford in rematch for Fulton County sheriff
Who says an indictment should end a person’s political career?
On a recent Thursday night, candidates in July 26 runoff sat in a small Fairburn church and waited to make their pitches to the jam-packed crowd.
Several of the men and women running for county solicitor, the state Legislature, and Fulton Superior Court judge sat at tables below the pulpit. But it was the the Democrats vying to serve as Fulton County Sheriff — a position that oversees the county jail, handles courthouse security, and serves foreclosure papers — who probably drew the most cheers and murmurs from the audience of 150 or so.
Both men have years of experience: current Sheriff Theodore “Ted” Jacksonhttp://www.reelectsherifftjackson.com was first elected in 2008. Richard Lankford was elected for two terms starting in 1984. They both inherited lockups that attracted separate federal inquiries for unsafe overcrowding. And the two men have met in an election before. In 2012, Jackson beat several Democrats, including Lankford, in one round of voting, though in a vote so close, Lankford unsuccessfully called for a runoff.
A few dozen people in the audience already knew which way they were voting for sheriff: they came wearing the bright yellow t-shirts of Lankford’s campaign. But it’s Jackson, an FBI veteran [http://www.fultoncountyga.gov/elections-documents/documents/registration-elections/year2016/2016-General-Primary-NonpartisanandSpecial-Election-Election-Summary/|who placed tops in the primary], with 46 percent of ballots to Lankford’s 36 percent.
When Jackson took office, the Rice Street jail was under a federal consent decree — an order from on high to fix unsafe conditions. The office, he said, was “dysfunctional.” But Jackson said he deserves to keep wearing the badge because of what’s taken place on his watch: the consent decree has been lifted, jail locks have been fixed, courtroom security has improved, and inmate education programs have been expanded. Jackson said the jail held about 2,557 people as of the first week in July and there were about 27 “incidents” a week. For that population, he said that’s a minimal number of issues.
“I get complained about because people don’t see me,” he said. “Well you don’t see me because things are running right. No news is good news.”
The sheriff acknowledged there’s been high turnover in the department, but he said he thinks the department now has good, quality people and he’d like for them to get raises.
Lankford said he’d make the better sheriff because he’s also been a deputy sheriff and he knows what’s going on in the department. But a top priority is to do with policing. “My first goal is to put deputies back in the street again,” said Lankford.
All Georgia counties have a sheriff who’s in charge of the county jail, serving papers, courthouse security and other duties. But in cities such as Atlanta, municipal police officers tend to do the sort of things you see on COPS: traffic stops, responses to 911 calls, patrolling, and so on. Lankford said the sheriff’s department needs to be on the street too, deterring crime, patrolling, working undercover, meeting residents and getting their trust.
“It goes without saying, crime is out of control in Fulton County,” he said.
Lankford, who said he’s the first African-American sheriff elected in Georgia, also said the county jail is not safe for inmates or staff. “We know things are going on, we know that the jail is terribly understaffed,” he said.
Jonathan Rosser was sitting near the front of the audience, wearing a blue t-shirt from Jackson’s campaign. “I know him,” said Rosser. “Jackson or someone from his staff … will be at the Concerned Black Clergy meeting each Monday.” Rosser said Jackson is “doing the things we need to have done.”
If Lankford’s supporters seem organized — with all those matching yellow shirts — it might be because some of them are used to uniforms. A good many of his supporters in the audience were either current or former deputies or reservists.
“The bottom line is, the Georgia Constitution describes what the sheriff’s job is and that is it defines him as the chief law enforcement officer of the county. How can you be the chief law enforcement officer of the county if you don’t participate in law enforcement?” said Ronnie Wyatt, a retired deputy. He said a lot of the improvements and programs that Jackson trumpets actually started with other sheriffs.
But neither Lankford nor Jackson mentioned the other bookend to Lankford’s tenure. Lankford was convicted in 1990 of extortion from a jail vendor and of tax evasion. Lankford’s supporters pointed out that those convictions were overturned. The conviction lost Lankford his certification as a lawman, and after winning the appeal, he signed a deal not to seek it again if the feds dropped the case. But he made his first attempt to return to the sheriff’s office in 1996. He was beaten in the Democratic primary. In 2011, the state body in charge of certifying law enforcement officers reinstated him because the conviction had been overturned.
ankford reported raising about $44,000 for his campaign from April through June this year. Jackson reported raising about $30,000 from in the same time frame, as well as receiving $50,000 in loans. Jackson, as an incumbent, can also use cash left over from previous years’ campaigns and reported more cash on hand at the end of June than Lankford.
he winner of the July 26 runoff will face Republican Ben Cowart in November. But in a county as blue as Fulton, the runoff is likely to decide the office. Early voting is already underway.