Meet Sheriff Labat

The Georgia Constitution mandates that each county has a sheriff, and legislation designates the sheriff as the chief law enforcement officer in the county. In most counties with a sheriff and a county police department, the sheriff voluntarily relinquishes the general law enforcement responsibilities to the county police department, although he cannot be forced to do so. The sheriff retains the authority to intervene in any law enforcement effort within the county when he felt compelled to do so. This includes actions initiated by deputies of this agency who have witnessed a violation of law or in the absence of a county police officer.

1. As a Law Enforcement Officer: The sheriff has the responsibility of protecting life and property and for preservation of the public peace. This includes all law enforcement functions associated with those endeavors.

2. As an Officer of the Court: In addition to providing physical security in the courtrooms and courthouse, the sheriff must serve as bailiff to the superior court or designate deputies to serve in that capacity. Bailiff duties include escorting juries to the courtroom, and if requested to do so, to their meals and hotel rooms. Bailiffs otherwise attend to the needs of the jury and guard them against outside influences. The sheriff is charged with serving all court summons, including subpoenas and civil process papers. In addition, the sheriff must execute all court-ordered levies on property to satisfy judgments-in court actions. The sheriff is also responsible for the transportation of mentally ill residents of his county to mental health emergency receiving facilities.

3. As a Detention Officer: The sheriff is the official jailer of the county and is responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of all inmates. The courts have established strict guidelines that the sheriff must follow in providing these things to his inmates. The sheriff is also responsible for preventing the escape of inmates from the jail.

The Administrative Division manages the essential operations of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office including the agency’s finances, human resources and background investigations, information technology, planning and research, training, internal affairs, public relations, and fleet sections.

INTERNAL AFFAIRS SECTION

The Internal Affairs Section (IA) ensures the integrity of the Sheriff’s Office and its employees by utilizing investigative procedures in confirming adherence to standards and expectations of depart­mental personnel. Internal Affairs also conducts Drug Screenings, and Property and Evidence Management.

FLEET UNIT

The Fleet Unit is responsible for maintaining all motor vehicles utilized within the agency including, but not limited to, patrol cars, special unit vehicles such as the bomb truck, mobile command center, and SWAT truck. The Fleet Unit is also assigned the function of Quartermaster. This duty entails the management of uniforms, tactical gear including ballistic vests, duty belts, and other essential equipment worn or carried by personnel.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS SECTION

The Background Investigations Section works with the Human Resources Section with recruitment activities for the agency. Pre-employment vetting includes drug screening, education and employment history investigations, and scrutiny of driver’s history along with other tests, examinations, and certifications verification. To learn more about our recruitment process or to apply for employment with our agency, please contact our Background & Recruitment Section at 404-612-4753. Learn more about background checks.

HUMAN RESOURCES

The Human Resources Section works in conjunction with the Background Investigation Section to recruit sworn and civilian personnel to fill vacant positions within the Sheriff’s Office. The recruiting/hiring function is of utmost importance, because it aspires to hire the best qualified individuals to represent the agency and the community it serves. The Human Resources staff is also responsible for interpreting and enforcing personnel laws, new hire orientation, processing Performance Appraisals, payroll processing and quality control, promotional assessments leave administration, travel and training, and maintenance of personnel and medical files. Learn more about Sheriff’s Office Human Resources.

INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECTION

The Information Systems Section has the duty of maintaining all advanced technology such as cameras, computers, land line telephones, mobile telephones, radio equipment, software systems, video, and other information technology devices utilized by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office deputies, detention officers, and staff. This section implemented several new systems utilized in the Divisions to increase efficiency and safety.

PLANNING AND RESEARCH SECTION

The Planning and Research Section manages policy development and accreditation for one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the nation. The section strives to improve professionalism by maintaining agency policies and procedures which serve as a mechanism to consistently hold members accountable for compliance with policy and accreditation standards. The Planning and Research Section revamps all agency policies and create new policies to ensure that all are modern and in alignment with current law enforcement standards and practices.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SECTION

The Public Relations Section is responsible for public affairs and media relations for the Sheriff’s Office. As the profile of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has grown locally, nationally, and internationally, the Public Information Officer (PIO) is on call at all times to field a myriad of requests from authors, journalists, television producers, and other news media representatives. The PIO leads crisis communications and may serve as photographer, spokesperson, and coordinates media requests involving staff while providing consultation and instruction as necessary. In addition, the PIO assists with event planning and promotion of events.

TRAINING SECTION

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office Training Section is established to serve and train sworn and civilian public safety personnel in the local law enforcement community. We serve our agency with professionalism, integrity and ethics. We strive to demonstrate these characteristics as an example of leadership to our workforce.

The Training Section Team is committed to assist those who are seeking personal and professional career development. We align the instructional content to reflect compliance with agency and county policies and procedures, Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies® standards, and local, state and federal laws.

The 2019 Training Section Highlights of Operation are as follows:

• Completed 5 Basic Jailer Certification Training Classes with a yearly total of 73 students.
• Completed 5 Basic Law Enforcement (Mandate) Certification Training Classes with a yearly total of 24 students.
• Completed 36 agency In-Service classes with a yearly total of 559 students.
• Completed 5 Policy and Procedures training class with a total of 102 students
• CALEA compliance of sworn active full-time and Reserve Unit training
• Other academy courses coordinated by Sheriff’s Office Instructors:
  • Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) with a total of 22 students
  • New Supervisor Orientation Training with a total of 16 students
  • Field Training Officer Certification with a total of 11 students

In 2019, the Training Section accomplished the following:

• Two consecutive “Top Shooter” awards in the Basic Law Enforcement Certification (Mandate) course.
• Two New Georgia POST Instructors graduated Instructor Training Certification (ITC)
• One New Georgia POST Senior Instructor graduated Instructor Training Certification (ITC)

FINANCE

The Finance Section has the responsibility of managing the Sheriff’s Office funding, revenues, and expenditures as well as establishing internal accounting controls and procedures to maintain integrity of fiscal management. The fiscal management component includes budget preparation/management, accounting, delinquent property tax unit, grant management, contract management and purchasing and procurement.

ACCOUNTING

Provides control over all cash receipts and disbursements of funds handled by the Agency; process court ordered payments and disbursements; record and disburse cash bond monies from the Fulton County Jail and other municipalities;

prepare cash receipts and reconcile deposits for general fund.

DELINQUENT PROPERTY TAX

The Delinquent Property Tax Unit ensures that all aspects of the Sheriff’s delinquent property tax sales are handled timely as mandated by Georgia State laws and Agency regulations; execute levy, and sell delinquent property taxes; investigate complaints by property owners relating to their tax FiFa’s; and assist property owners, security deed/lien holders in the timely redemption of entitled surplus funds.

PURCHASING AND PROCUREMENT

The Purchasing and Procurement Unit is responsible for management of purchase/acquisition of all goods, services, and equipment utilizing a competitive bidding process. Also manage purchase orders/requisitions, vendor database and process all accounts payables. This unit has purchased goods or services and processed accounts payables in approximately $6 million dollars.

GRANT MANAGEMENT

The grant writer has the responsibility of writing grant proposals, submitting grant awards to Board of Commissioners for approval, implementing and tracking grant programs, and preparing progress reports. The grant writer submitted proposals and managed grant funding totaling $603K during FY2018.

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

The Contract Administrator is responsible for contract development, vendor negotiation, negotiating contract terms and conditions, vendor management, managing the contract database and files, and managing the vendor selection committee for the procurement process. The Contract Administrator managed contracts in excess of $4.6 million dollars during FY2018.

FIELD OPERATIONS
WARRANTS

Phone number: 404-612-5129
Warrants status information is not available by phone; subject of warrant must come to the FCSO located in the Fulton County Courthouse or the Fulton County Jail to receive warrant information. Warrant status information provided to subject of warrant only and proper photo ID is required to received warrant status information.

The service of criminal warrants is one the most challenging and hazardous duties in law enforcement today since the offender is typically aware that charges are pending and jail in his next destination. The primary responsibility of the Warrant Section is the processing and execution of criminal arrest warrants, civil processes and mental health transports. Additional duties often include funeral escorts and assisting other law enforcement agencies in and around Fulton County.

In an average year, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Section receives over 21,000 criminal warrants. When a criminal warrant is received in the Warrant Section an immediate process begins towards the execution of the warrant. This process includes recording the warrant in the Sheriff’s Office computer data base, identifying the suspect, checking the criminal history of the suspect and placing the wanted person on the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. Once this process has been completed the warrant is forwarded to uniform deputies or to the Fugitive Section where attempts are made to locate and apprehend the wanted person.

CIVIL PROCESS

The Civil Section is tasked with the responsibility of preparing and serving civil processes received from the Courts of Fulton County, as well as other jurisdictions. In addition to process service, this section executes court orders that include the completion of Evictions, Writs of Possession and the collection of other judgments issued by the courts. Click here for more information on civil process.

INVESTIGATIONS
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

The Criminal Investigations Unit has two distinct functions: 1. Fugitive Apprehension; and 2. Major Case Investigations. Deputies in this Unit lead investigations to track and apprehend wanted persons. Major Case Investigations may involve threats to Fulton County property, personnel, and citizens of Fulton County. Deputies in this unit also investigate cybercrimes, human trafficking, narcotics, and gangs. Unit members achieve objectives in part via critical participation on federal task forces with the United States Marshal’s Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

SEX OFFENDER

Phone number: 404-612-9130

The Sex Offender Unit registers and monitors offenders living in Fulton County and maintains the Offender Watch Systems which provide information to citizens. This Section investigates sex crimes and incidents related to the Prison Rape Elimination Act and works with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, United States Marshal’s Service, and other law enforcement agencies in Fulton County by providing them with information concerning offenders in their jurisdictions.

SPECIALIZED UNITS
K-9 UNIT

The Sheriff’’s Office maintains canines of various disciplines including narcotics detection, explosives detection and tracking. The canines are utilized by specially trained and certified handlers.

SWAT

S.W.A.T. is an acronym for Special Weapons And Tactics. The S.W.A.T. Unit members utilize special skills to achieve a variety of law enforcement goals such as suspect apprehension, assistance to neighboring agencies, special escorts of high risk inmates, and other objectives as directed by Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat.

BOMB UNIT

The Bomb Unit responds to threats or reports of suspicious packages in the agency’s facilities and/or jurisdiction. Members of the Bomb Unit often work in conjunction with other public safety agencies with the common goal of protecting the public. Bomb technicians undergo rigorous training and must attain certification to perform this highly-sensitive function. The FCSO Bomb Unit is called upon to perform security sweeps during major events in Metro Atlanta.

CRISIS NEGOTIATION UNIT

The Crisis Negotiation Unit consists of specially trained deputies who are adept at de-escalating volatile situations through the use of skilled negotiation techniques with suspects to achieve peaceful resolutions. It is critical for this Unit to maintain communications with barricaded suspects, hostage takers, and persons intending to harm others and/or themselves.

DRONE UNIT

The agency has two drone pilots who support law enforcement operations:

• SWAT
• Bomb Squad
• Search and rescue missions
• Surveillance missions

PROTECTIVE MEASURES

The Protective Measures Unit coordinates the protection of dignitaries, judicial officials, witnesses and visiting local and world leaders as designated by Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat. These details may also involve providing security for special events.

TRANSFER

The transfer unit operates two shifts and the deputies perform the following tasks:

• Movement of inmates between the jail to the courts
• Movement of mental patients to medical facilities
• The movement of inmates to prisons and other correctional institutions within the state
• Transport inmates from other states to the Fulton County Jail

The transfer unit utilizes buses, vans and cars to transport inmates. Once the motorcade starts, its does not stop until the we reach a secure location either at the jail or the courts.

GCIC

Members assigned to the GCIC Unit are responsible for verification of criminal warrants, entering warrant information into the Georgia Crime Information Center database, performing background checks, performing record restrictions, and entering temporary protection orders into the GCIC protection order database. Call 404-612-5129 to learn more.
Learn more about Law Enforcement Division.

The Court Services Division is responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of the Fulton County Justice Center Complex, the Juvenile Justice Center (JCC), operating and securing the jail courtrooms, and providing security for the North and South Service Centers.

Deputies and staff assigned to this Division are continuously working to keep persons who visit and work in the facilities safe. A key tool is the comprehensive security plan which provides the framework for the safe, effective operation of the Justice Center Complex.

This Division has three core objectives:

1. Be responsive to the daily needs in all courtroom sessions for Superior, State, Probate, Extradition, and Domestic Legal Services Court as well as twice weekly Grand Jury Sessions.
2. Identify and deter the entry of contraband and/or illegal objects by screening all incoming visitors and employees via search and visual observation, magnetometers, hand-held detectors and/or package scanners.
3. Maintain a zero escape rate while transporting inmates and juveniles safely and securely to various courts and detention areas.

Learn more about Court Services