Fulton County Sheriff  Candidates Square Off In First Debate

One day before early voting began in Fulton County, the four candidates for the top law enforcement post in the county debated at a voters forum at Berean Seventh Day Adventist Church in southwest Atlanta. The forum was sponsored by the Divine Nine, sororities and fraternities of metro Atlanta and a coalition of community organizations.& & The candidates fielded questions on inmate deaths at the jail, understaffing, the budget, community input, and relations with the Fulton County Commission.& If there were two points that the four candidates agreed on were: 1) There is a crisis at the jail and 2) It’s going to take more than electing a new sheriff to solve those problems, but a coordinated approach involving nonprofit organizations, community and civic groups, businesses, the governments of the cities that lie within Fulton County, the courts and concerned citizens.& Attending the forum were the current Sheriff Pat Labat, former Deputy Joyce Farmer, former deputy and jail administrator James “JT” Brown and former Fulton jail officer Kirt Beasley.& Labat is facing three candidates who all have worked at the jail before. Despite their calls for new leadership, the sheriff who has been in office for less than 2 years...