Each year, I look forward to autumn and the opportunity for the Sheriff’s Office to thank the community for the overwhelming support given to law enforcement by hosting our annual “Building Unity in the Community” cookout.  This annual event will be held Saturday, September 28^th, at Riverfront Park from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.  Riverfront Park is located at 112 North Front Street in downtown Albany. This event is our way of saying thanks to the citizens of this community.  

A sense of community is incredibly important.  In 2010, the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office adopted the slogan “Building Unity in the Community” and began launching initiatives to live up to that slogan.  We conducted our first annual cookout that year at the Carver Sports Complex, and have continued annually, changing venues each year to allow more people to take advantage of what the event has to offer. The only exceptions were 2018 when our event was cancelled due to Hurricane Michael and again during COVID.

Even though the cookout is taking place at Riverfront Park, all citizens of Dougherty County are invited to attend. This will encourage people to mingle across-town in a way that builds a greater city/county-wide sense of community.

The Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office also seeks to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community.  Families and citizens will have an opportunity to sit down and talk with law enforcement and other organizations that have resources available to the citizens of Albany/Dougherty County. This is perhaps more important today than ever when communities across the country are working to improve the relationship between law enforcement and the citizens. This event also gives us an opportunity to thank the citizens for the exemplary support we continually receive. 

The employees of the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office are the most supportive and caring I have had the good fortune to work with. I want you to come out and meet some of them and let us get to know you.  We want to hear your concerns and discuss any issues you may be having.  We will serve chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, have other good food to eat as well as games and other activities for the children.

These cookouts have been important to me throughout my time as Sheriff, as a way to thank you for your support. This event will be my last as Sheriff, as I will be retiring at the end of this term and turning the reins over to Sheriff-Elect Terron Hayes. I would love see everyone for this last meal together!

The event is free to the public; however, we are accepting sponsors and/or donations to assist us in making it as successful as possible.  We also encourage vendors and community partners to assist with making this event meaningful, useful, and enjoyable.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Capt. Ted Thomas at (229) 302-3638.