New Jail Administrator Hits The Ground Running 

(February 8, 2010-Atlanta, Georgia)  The new Jail Administrator got down to business on his first day on the job.  Fulton County Sheriff Theodore “Ted” Jackson hired Dennis S. Nelson to serve as the Jail Administrator to handle operations and management of the County’s holding facilities including the jail at 901 Rice Street in Northwest Atlanta.   Sheriff Jackson said, “Dennis Nelson’s appointment comes after an extensive search for the right candidate to run the Fulton County Jail.  He has received numerous accolades in the field of law enforcement during his career which spans 30 years.  His  

experience is a valuable asset for our command staff as we continue to focus on achieving our goals and the important work that must be done at the Fulton County Jail.”

     Dennis Nelson comes to Fulton County after serving many years with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office as Deputy Chief/Lieutenant Colonel/Headquarters Bureau Director.  In that capacity, Nelson commanded the following operations:  Detention Division; Court Services Division; Support Services Division; Court Security; Records Section; GCIC Unit; Property and Evidence Unit; Warrant/Fugitive Unit; Transport Unit, Planning and Research, and Accreditation/Certification Unit.  He was directly involved with the recent design of a new detention facility for Forsyth County. 

     Previously, Nelson was a Captain and the Support Services Division Director for the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office where he was instrumental in developing a department operated and P.O.S.T. approved Mandate Training Academy in cooperation with the Gwinnett County Police Department. Nelson began his law enforcement career as a police officer, having worked for the City of Roswell Police Department and City of Acworth Police Department beginning in 1980.  

     After graduating from Marietta’s Wheeler High School, Nelson always kept learning and finished Bellevue University, graduating Magna Cum Laude having earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration.   He has also completed numerous courses and programs in management and law enforcement.

All of his notable credentials will be put to good use at the Fulton County Jail which serves the most populated county in the State of Georgia.  The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office recently marked the 20^th anniversary of the 2250-bed Rice Street facility, which officially opened November 11, 1989.  

Storytime is more fun at the Nicholas House thanks to deputies! 

(January 21, 2010 - Atlanta, Georgia)  Deputies from The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Community Outreach Section, delivered new books and panda bears to the Nicholas House for homeless families.  The Fulton County Sheriff's Office has partnered with Borders Books to distribute children's books and bears in our area.  Children at Nicholas House will have access to numerous titles including classics like Charlotte's Web, Curious George, The Cat in the

Hat, to name a few.  The deputies also had new, plush pandas to give away which were also supplied by Borders.   

     For over 26 years, the Nicholas House has played a vital role in the Atlanta Community by guiding more than 1,500 homeless families to self-sufficiency.  Nicholas House is a non-profit agency that provides transitional housing for families in need. The three main goals for clients are: 

1.  Earn a living wage

2.  Maintaining the mental, physical, and social health of parents and children

3.  Maintaining safe and stable housing

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office is proud to work with Borders Books and Nicholas House to increase literacy in our community.

Sheriff Jackson spreads Holiday Cheer and promotes literacy

(December 23, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia)  Sheriff Theodore Jackson and deputies from Community Outreach presented books and bears to children at the Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Center in South Fulton County.  The children were all smiles when they saw the cuddly, stuffed panda bears and stacks and stacks of books. Each child was able to select a book of their very own and take home a new, furry friend.

Borders Books and Music donated the books and bears for the Fulton  County Sheriff's Office to present to the children.   

To show their appreciation, the children presented Sheriff Jackson with big, personalized thank you cards featuring a version of the agency's star.  The children are very creative. 

Sheriff Jackson said he enjoyed being able to give the books to the children and give them the opportunity to see law enforcement officers as positive figures in their lives at an early age.  

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office is grateful to Borders Books and Music for helping make this effort possible.  The Borders Group Foundation supports a variety of projects to help support literacy, education, and the fine and performing arts.  To learn more about the company's contributions to our community, go to www.borders.com.

Sharing with others at Thanksgiving 

 December 01, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia)  More than 100 Fulton County families had a tastier Thanksgiving this year.  The Fulton County Sheriff's Office distributed 100+ boxes filled with a turkey and the ingredients for a hearty, healthy meal.  For example, many boxes included eggs, macaroni, stuffing, collard greens, cake mix, canned vegetables, baking pans, and much more. The Community Outreach Section began organizing this effort months ago in cooperation with the Chaplains that volunteer with the agency. 

Every year, the Fulton Sheriff's Office looks forward to this opportunity to help others who are less fortunate.  And once again, staff members came through with a huge amount of food.  Jail staff filled several large 4-foot tall barrels with canned goods and other items. 

Community Outreach partnered with the Department of Family and Children Services to identify families that could use a helping hand this year.  Other recipients were referred to organizers by employees.  Sheriff Ted Jackson made some deliveries to residents at a senior living facility on Georgia Avenue near Turner Field. 

Court Services Division gathered donations as well.  The staff members distributed boxes to fellow co-workers to help them have a better holiday with their families. 

Deputy II Ingram receives award from BBA

(November 03, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia) In October, the Buckhead Business Association honored Deputy II Kenny Ingram for his outstanding work in the Court Services Division.  Each quarter, the BBA recognizes personnel in public safety from the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, the Atlanta Police Department, and Atlanta Fire Rescue.  

     Deputy Ingram was chosen from our agency based upon the way he took charge of a touchy situation in a courtroom earlier this year.   During court, Deputy Ingram was paying close attention to the victim's father.  Suddenly, the deputy noticed that something in the  father's eyes revealed that the man was becoming very upset.  The father stood and Deputy Ingram instructed him to be seated.  In an instant, the father charged Deputy Ingram so the deputy redirected the man's energy.  Deputy Ingram deployed his Taser to subdue the man and at the same time he instructed D.O. Jenkins to remove the defendant from the courtroom.  The man's brother also considered taking on Deputy Ingram but thought better of it. 

     Two Atlanta Police officers were nearby and offered to help but Deputy Ingram had the situation well-under control. 

     We salute Deputy Kenny Ingram for utilizing his intellect, training, and common sense to quickly maintain order during a volatile situation. 

Deputies receive dual honors for service   

(October 19, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia)  Being a Fulton County Sheriff’s deputy requires among others, strong skills in multitasking but a recent situation called for special maneuvers.  SWAT Team members Deputy Timothy Desrosiers and Deputy John Farrar were honored by two organizations on the same night for the extraordinary service they provided to a 72-year-old woman raising her 2 great-grandchildren with few resources.  The deputies coordinated a massive effort with the Sheriff’s Reserve Unit of volunteer deputies to make the family’s dreams of a better home come true.  After hearing the story about the extreme makeover on the northwest Atlanta home, Feld Entertainment which  produces the show Disney On Ice: Celebrations! saw cause to celebrate Deputy Desrosiers and Deputy Farrar.    

       On Thursday, October 15, 2009, the Service Division deputies were the honored guests at a special production of the show and met the cast members.  The company invited the deputies, their families, and the family they helped to the show along with members of the Atlanta Fire Department who were also being recognized for their good works.  

       As those plans were being finalized, Deputies Farrar and Desrosiers received notice that they were being honored by The 300 Club on the same night.  The 300 Club honors public safety personnel for bravery and good character.  This year, the organization bestowed its prestigious awards upon nine law enforcement officers and fire/rescue personnel at a formal dinner at the Piedmont Driving Club.

       Two important events on the same night presented Deputy Desrosiers and Deputy Farrar with an interesting dilemma.  Their children were excited about seeing Disney On Ice at Phillips Arena and they wanted to stay true to their words.  On the other hand, The 300 Club had a wonderful awards ceremony planned to show their appreciation to the deputies for their exemplary service.  After hearing about the predicament, The 300 Club offered to send a car to Phillips Arena to pick up the deputies and a firefighter who was also receiving an award.  The door-to-door service involved taking them to the Piedmont Driving Club in rush hour traffic and returning them to Phillips Arena to rejoin their families.

        During dinner, Deputy Desrosiers says he told a founding member of The 300 Club that he did not feel they deserved the honor.  However, the man told the deputy that they read numerous stories submitted to the organization before developing the list of honorees.  The club member assured Deputy Desrosiers that he and Deputy Farrar were indeed worthy of the award. 

        At the end of the night, the deputies were proud to receive accolades from two well-respected organizations and their children were able to meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse.  A good night for all.

Disney on Ice recognizes dedicated Deputies 

 (October 6, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia)  Representatives from the national production of Disney On Ice visited the Fulton County Sheriff's Office to recognize Deputy Timothy Desrosiers and Deputy John Farrar for making a difference in our community.  The deputies and their families will be Disney's honored guests at a production of the ice show Celebrations!, its newest magical family show.  Also in attendance will be a special family that the deputies adopted earlier this year.       

      In May, Deputies Desrosiers and Farrar went to a home in northwest Atlanta to handle a law enforcement matter.  The deputies are experienced in handling a variety of situations that they encounter on the street however, what they found at this tiny home was not covered in their law enforcement training.  The home was empty.  A 72-year-old lady was raising her great-grandchildren ages 3 and 10 at a time when she is in her golden years and the children are at crucial stages in their development.  The great-grandmother was working a part-time job to make ends meet but there was never enough.

     The deputies began thinking of ways to help the family.  They rolled up their sleeves and gave the home an extreme makeover.  Along the way, the men enlisted the help of the Sheriff's Office Reserve Unit of volunteer deputies and encouraged local businesses to donate services to tackle the jobs they could not manage themselves.  Deputies Desrosiers and Farrar took on the job of contractors.  The home needed extensive plumbing work, plastering and painting, heating and air, cleaning, and furniture.  A special project focused on giving the 10-year-old girl a room of her own decorated in a princess theme.  The girl had been sharing a room with her great-grandmother. 

     The deputies did not stop there.  They made financial contributions to the family in the form of cash and gift cards to help them make their house a home.  Deputies Farrar and Desrosiers still check on the family.  They look forward to seeing the great-grandmother and the girls at the Disney On Ice show Celebrations! because they truly have something to celebrate. 

K-9 Marco and Deputy Corey Henry save the day, again

(August 6, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia) In the words of East Point Police, Deputy Corey Henry and his partner Marco have saved the day again!  EPPD called upon Deputy Henry and his canine partner Marco to help locate 3 bags discarded by a suspect being pursued by officers.  Those bags weren't just filled with garbage, rather drugs. 

New canine makes first fugitive apprehension (July 26, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia)  Fulton County Sheriff Ted Jackson would like to recognize Deputy Corey Henry and his canine partner Marco on their first fugitive apprehension after being called upon by the East Point Police Department.

     Before sunrise on Saturday morning, a motorist flagged down members of the EPPD Uniformed Patrol Division to report being the victim of a hit and run accident on Washington Road in the city.  One of the officers reported seeing the suspect flee the scene and the officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop using his blue lights and siren.  The suspect refused to stop. The officers stated the driver also had another hit and run accident on Washington Road at Hammerskold Drive.  This time, the suspect ran from the vehicle.

     East Point Police called for assistance from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit to help track down the suspect.  Deputy Henry let Marco examine the vehicle abandoned by the suspect.  Next, they began to track a wooded area near the scene.  An East Point officer covered Deputy Henry and Marco during the search for safety.  Within a short period of time, Marco located the suspect lying behind a set of trees near a fence.  At this point, the suspect surrendered without incident.  East Point Police charged the driver with several offenses including hit and run.  (Please contact EPPD for more details about their case.)

     The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office makes the K-9 Unit available to other agencies to assist with investigations as needed. The newly sworn canine is a 17-month-old Belgian Malinois.  Marco is the FCSO’s first all patrol dog trained to detect illegal drugs, track and search for suspects. 

Deputy honored by Buckhead Business Association

(July 24, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia)  Every quarter, the Buckhead Business Association honors public safety professionals for outstanding service to the community.  On Thursday, July 23, 2009, the organization of business leaders recognized the quick thinking and dedication of Deputy Sheriff Vivian Dixon-Bradford.   Earlier this month, Deputy Dixon-Bradford was working her overnight shift in the Court Services Division when she answered an emergency  

call from a mother from Florida who was crying and upset, pleading for help for her daughter who emailed her mother a suicide note. The daughter lived in Atlanta and the mother was desperate to prevent a tragedy. 

     The deputy, who is also a mom, stayed on the telephone with the mother in Florida and made contact with an Atlanta Police 911 dispatcher.  The mother had been attempting to call her daughter to no avail.  The dispatcher sent 2 units to the scene along with an emergency medical team to the daughter’s home.  The young woman was not answering her telephone or the door to her residence.  Officers breached the door and found the woman inside. 

     Later that morning, the mother called Deputy Dixon-Bradford to update her on the daughter’s condition.  The young woman was unconscious when EMT’s reached her and she was taken to a local hospital for treatment.  The mother told the deputy that she wanted to make sure she thanked her for all she had done. 

     The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is proud to see deputies like Vivian Dixon-Bradford recognized for her commitment and service to her community.

     During the awards presentation, the audience gave Deputy Dixon-Bradford a standing ovation. The Buckhead Business Association also honored an officer from the Atlanta Police Department and the Atlanta Fire Department.  Pictured in the above photograph left to right are:  Atlanta Police Department Zone 2 Sergeant R.E. Bender, accepting the award for recipient Officer Kelvin Walls, honoree Deputy Sheriff Vivian Dixon-Bradford, and honoree Captain Mark L. Hatalla of Atlanta Fire/Rescue Station 26A.

 (Photo courtesy: Leland on Location Photographic Images)