Successes of the Cherokee Sheriff's Office

By Sheriff Frank Reynolds

Four years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to begin my first term as your sheriff. Upon reflection, I am reminded of Cherokee Sheriff’s Office’s (CSO) many successes as one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the U.S. Every day, our citizens recognize CSO deputies with words of encouragement, letters of appreciation, and other countless acts of thankfulness. These tokens of sincere gratitude remind our deputies why they chose to be civil servants and why they choose this community above all others. While many law enforcement agencies struggle to hire and retain qualified peace officers, CSO attracts stellar applicants and is nearly fully staffed.

CSO is grateful for its meaningful and professional relationship with our Cherokee County Board of Commissioners (BOC). Citizens deserve the very best in public safety (law enforcement, fire/EMS, Marshal’s Office, and E-911), and the BOC makes every effort to ensure they receive it. I talk with other sheriffs from across the state, and I can assure you this relationship is extraordinary. We are the envy of many counties.

Let me take a moment to highlight a few CSO successes we have achieved together:

• Reduced opioid-related overdoses and deaths through education, rehabilitation, and enforcement, and raised awareness through the Cherokee-Pickens Multi Agency Narcotic Squad (C-MANS)
• Created an inmate workforce program to keep our parks and recreation areas clean and beautiful throughout Cherokee County
• Awarded the “Triple Crown” by the National Sheriff’s Association by becoming accredited through the National Commission of Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), and the American Correctional Association (ACA), a distinction held by fewer than 3% of all sheriff’s
  offices nationally
• Increased the size of the agency by 36 sworn deputies
  and 17 civilians to meet the needs of the fastest growing county in Georgia
• Enhanced an established partnership with Reinhardt University to assist deputies and staff in obtaining their bachelor’s and master’s degrees
• Began an inmate housing expansion project to serve the needs of our community for the next 20 years
• Opened the inmate video visitation center and remote capabilities (just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic)
• Created the annual Sheriff’s Citizens Academy
• Changed the agency uniform to a more modern and contemporary look at no extra cost to taxpayers

As I begin my second term as sheriff, I am excited about the opportunities to continue to serve you in new and innovative ways. In the future, CSO will explore how to best leverage technology to combat fraud, child exploitation, and traffic violations. This year, there are plans to open the Ball Ground precinct in an effort to better serve the citizens of Ball Ground, Nelson, and Yellow Creek.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Cherokee County citizens for allowing me to serve as your sheriff for a second term. I am committed to protecting all your constitutional rights.