Sheriff Paxton Officially Announces Re-election Bid

Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton made it official Friday night that he will run for a fourth term.

Paxton who was elected sheriff in 2000 has been serving the citizens of Forsyth County since taking office on Jan. 1, 2001.

"When I became sheriff I took over the reins of an office that was in disarray, with low morale and with multiple lawsuits pending," said Paxton in a news release. "Since that time, thanks to the hard work and dedication of a large number of sheriff’s office employees, we have built this agency into a model that other law enforcement agencies around the country have sought to emulate."

Among Paxton's achievements, in 2003 the sheriff's office was awarded accreditation by the Committee of Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and re-accredited in 2006 and 2009.

The sheriff’s office was also named a CALEA “Flagship Agency” in 2009, which named the Sheriff’s Office as the “Best of the Best” among CALEA accredited law enforcement agencies. There are only seven of 159 Georgia Sheriff’s Offices that are accredited.

During Paxton's tenure, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office has won dozens of state and national safety awards including, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers’ Georgia Agency of the Year in 2006.

Paxton said that when he took office in 2001 there were only a handful of neighborhoods that participated in a poorly run Neighborhood Watch Program. He said he immediately implemented a Community Relations Unit, that concentrated on developing and enhancing the Neighborhood Watch Program. 

As of today, there are 317 Forsyth County subdivisions that are active participants in the Neighborhood Watch program, representing more than 30,000 residents. The county also has more than 3,000 businesses active in the Sheriff’s Office Business Watch Program, a program that was nearly non-existent when Paxton became sheriff.  

In 2009 the sheriff’s office received the National Excellence Award from the National Sheriffs’ Association in recognition of its Neighborhood Watch Program.

Other awards the agency has received include, first Place in the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Impaired Drivers program in 2010 for its efforts in removing impaired drivers from the road.

Last year the crime scene unit was awarded the International Association of Chiefs of Police August Vollmer Award for Excellence in Forensic Science. And in 2011, the sheriff’s office received the National Water Safety Congress Award for its efforts in promoting boating safety on Lake Lanier.

“The job of being sheriff is a journey, not a destination,” Paxton said. “I have devoted my entire working career, over 40 years, to law enforcement and while our agency has accomplished many great things during my 11 years here, there is still much work to be done.” 

Two other candidates, Lauren McDonald, Forsyth County Coroner for the past 11 years, and Duane Piper, a former sheriff's office lieutenant, .

Read more about Sheriff Ted Paxton on his Web site.

“I’m proud to be your Sheriff,” Paxton said, “and I ask for your vote and support for the next four years.”