Sheriff Thomas E. Brown: DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office

by Phillip Bellury

After a spirited campaign with six other candidates Thomas E. Brown won a Special Election in March of 2001 with 83% of the votes cast, becoming the 48th Sheriff in the history of DeKalb County.

Sheriff Brown was elected to his second term in 2004, running unopposed, with 81,774 votes in the primary election held in July, 2004. Sheriff Brown’s public service career began in 1972 serving as a for the City of Atlanta. In successive years, he served in various positions of leadership topping out as Deputy Fire Chief of all operations at Atlanta’s Harts

In 1985, at age 31, Sheriff Brown was chosen as the 5th Fire Chief in the history of the DeKalb County, making him at the time the youngest Fire Chief of a major county or city in the nation. After holding that position for four years DeKalb CEO Maloof appointed Thomas Brown as the County’s Public Safety Director placing him in charge of all public safety functions of a growing DeKalb County. His responsibilities included the supervision of the county’s Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, 911 Communications Center, Animal Control Division and The Emergency Management OfHomeland Security).

While Public Safety Director, Thomas Brown was responsible for the establishment of the Community-Oriented Policing program in the Police Department in 1992, achieving the department’s national accreditation with the Commission of Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies and establishing the school system through the Public Safety’s Community Relations Unit. That program resulted in large drops in the 1980 & 90’s.

In his present position as High Sheriff of DeKalb County, he is responsible for the operation of the county jail, serving of all criminal and civil warrants, and security of the County’s Courthouse. The Sheriff ’s Ofoperates DeKalb County’s major Fugitive Unit, which is charged with locating and arresting fugitives from justice.

The Sheriff ’s commitment to his community is exempliof over 15 years to various boards and committees. Currently he serves as a member of the DeKalb Rape Crisis Board, The Georgia Center for Children, a counseling center for sexual abused children and Project Destiny a church-based counseling organization for 1st time non-violent juvenile offenders and their families and Nicolas House, which provides shelter to homeless families for up to two years. He is also a member of the Decatur Rotary Club. A graduate of Leadership DeKalb, Sheriff Brown was selected as the Alumni of the Year in 2001.

A native of Atlanta, Sheriff Brown is a product of the Atlanta Public School System. He received his Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Public Administration from Brenau College. Sheriff Brown also has two Associate of Science degrees from DeKalb Community College now known as Perimeter College. Sheriff Brown and his wife Yolanda have two children Brittany and Justin.