THOMASVILLE- Thomas County Sheriff candidate Captain Tim Watkins held a meet and greet cookout on Saturday afternoon, encouraging the community to drop by, get to know him, and learn of his goals for the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office.
Watkins said the cookout was a great opportunity for individuals to stop by and ask questions.
“A lot of people don’t really know what exactly the office of the sheriff actually does,” he said. “Everybody sees the patrol officers driving up and down the road and just thinks he’s over them, but that’s not the complete role.”
Watkins went on to explain the sheriff has to manage the jail, manage the courts, manage and transport prisoners, complete mental health transports, and complete juvenile transports.
“It’s a task at times,” Watkins said.
He went on to detail a recent event he saw current Sheriff Carlton Powell deal with that showed the true lengths sheriffs must go to.
“We had a young lady who attacked her uncle with a hammer,” he said. “The closest bed we had for a female at that time, because of her age, was in Savannah. We had to have a deputy take her to Savannah and then come back. The next day, she had to have a detention hearing, so we had to go all the way back to Savannah and then return. If the judge decides to detain her, we have to go back to Savannah and then again for a hearing.”
Watkins said this is just one of the many complexities of the Sheriff’s Office that he is hoping to share with people during his ongoing meet and greets.
Watkins plans to have meet and greets in all the municipalities, so he can answer as many questions as possible before the May 21st election.
Next week, Watkins and his team will be in Meigs, before visiting Coolidge.
“We are going to flip-flop depending on Peacock Day in Pavo and the Rose Show here in Thomasville,” he said. “We are going to visit every small town in the County, before coming back to the City.”
For those unable to attend any of Watkins’ meet and greets, Watkins can be contacted at 229-403-1691, after 5 p.m., as he is unable to answer questions while on duty.
“I just want everyone to understand that selecting a sheriff should not be a popularity contest, it should be based solely on your qualifications,” he concluded.
More information on Watkins and all candidates vying for the position of sheriff will be available in our upcoming Meet the Candidates booklet, which will be distributed before early voting.