As your Sheriff, I have been truly humbled by the incredible support I receive from the community. I am equally humbled by the support I receive from my staff. The Sheriff’s Office has so many outstanding employees who are dedicated to this community that it is often a challenging task for supervisors to select an Employee of the Month. Each month, however, agency supervisors choose two Employees of the Month; one from the Sheriff’s Office Operations Division and one from the Jail Division. Then, at the end of the year, all of the employees vote to select the Employees of the Year. The fact that the Employees of the Year are chosen by their peers makes the honor even more special.

This year’s Employees of the Year are truly deserving of the recognition. Because folks in the community often don’t get the chance to see these great employees, I wanted to take this opportunity to share a little about them.

The Employee of the Year for the Sheriff’s Office Operations Division is Deputy Eddie Jackson. Deputy Jackson was hired on April 26, 1989, to work in the jail. Through diligence and hard work, he was promoted to Corporal in August, 1994, and to the rank of Sergeant a year later. Sgt. Jackson was previously recognized as the Employee of the Year for the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office in 2009. Sergeant Jackson lead by example, serving as many as 150 civil papers in one day by himself. His hard-charging demeanor earned him the nickname “Action Jackson” among his peers. In February, 2015, Sergeant Jackson left his supervisory position and accepted a transfer to the Judicial Support Services Division. As Deputy Jackson, he was recognized last October as the Sheriff’s Office Employee of the Month. Deputy Jackson is a “Real Model” as it pertains to excellence in law enforcement. He has a good attitude, is a hard worker, and sets an outstanding example for younger deputies. Deputy Jackson is married to Ernestine Jackson and they reside in Dougherty County.

The Employee of the Year for the Jail Division is Sergeant Deborah Platt.  She began her employment with the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office/Jail Division September 14, 1998. Sergeant Platt has previously been honored as the Dougherty County Jail Employee of the Month on three different occasions and was also selected as Employee of the Year in 2007.  Sergeant Platt came to us with four years of experience from the Georgia Department of Corrections, which helped her to quickly be recognized and she was promoted to Jail Housing Corporal on October 10, 2002. That position was upgraded to Sergeant July 1, 2018. Sergeant Platt not only excelled at her position, but has also begun working extensively to train others. She challenges her co-workers to constantly step-up their performance and shares her wisdom and knowledge with less experienced officers. Sergeant Platt is such an asset that no one was surprised when she was selected again as the Jail Division Employee of the Year.

Sergeant Platt is an avid sports fan of the Randolph-Clay Red Devils, a team on which her son, nephew, grandson, granddaughter, and niece have all been star players.

I should also note that there were two dozen employees who received votes for Employee of the Year. This is a real testament to the quality of our employees. I am incredibly proud of and grateful for each person who takes up the challenge to serve their community as a member of the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office. I want to thank each citizen for giving me the honor of leading such an outstanding team. If we can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to call.