Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office
Feb 2020
Newsletter

Professionalism. Integrity. Honesty. Courage.
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR RECOGNIZED
Congratulations to Corporal George Albert for being recognized as the Employee of the Year for the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office by the Dahlonega Sunrise Rotary Club. Cpl Albert is a great asset to not only the Sheriff’s Office but the Lumpkin County School System. I appreciate everything Cpl Albert does for our community. Congratulations Cpl Albert!
Well deserved.
SHERIFF JARRARD AND GSA MEET WITH GOV KEMP OVER GANGS
Great day at the Capitol with Governor Kemp. I am grateful for the Sheriffs and the Georgia Sheriff’s Association Representative, Terry Norris, for your attendance today as we discussed with Governor Kemp his initiative for Gang reduction in GA. It was a very productive meeting and will should benefit the State of GA.
LUMPKIN HAS NEW ARSON INVESTIGATOR
This week I swore in Deputy Chief David McWhorter of the Lumpkin County Emergency Services. He will be the new Arson Investigator for the Lumpkin County Fire Department. Congratulations Deputy Chief McWhorter.
CHURCH SECURITY BRINGS OUT HUGE CROWDS
Thank you to Dave Shanks and Tod Keys of Georgia Emergency Management Agency -Homeland Security team for presenting the CRASE presentation to the area churches. It was a great turn out for the meeting. If you would like Sheriff Jarrard to come out to your church and continue the discussion about Church Security, please contact Rhonda Sheppard (706) 482-2628
DONATIONS NEEDED FOR EASTER EGG HUNT
Delicious chocolate easter eggs _bunny and sweets on dark blue background
The Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office will be collecting monetary donations for our annual Easter Egg Hunt held each year at the R-Ranch. We generally hide around 60,000 plastic eggs. We have plenty of plastic eggs but need to purchase candy to fill the eggs. If you would like to make a cash donation to the Sheriff's Office for the purchase of candy, please contact Rhonda Sheppard at (706) 482-2628 or you can mail a check to Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office, 385 East Main Street, Dahlonega, GA 30533.
DATES FOR CITIZENS DAY AT THE FIRING RANGE
February 4, 5, 25 and 26
March 3, 4, 31
April 1, 28, 29
May 5, 6, 26, 27
June 2, 3, 30
July 1, 28, 29
August 4, 5, 25, 26
September 1, 2, 29, 30
October 6, 7, 27, 28
November 3, 4, 24, 25
December 1, 2, 29, 30

All times are 0900-1300 (9am-1pm)
Michael J. Ramsey Firing Range
490 Barlow Road
Dahlonega, GA 30533
MARCH

3rd-4th   Hunter Safety Certification Course: Sheriff Jarrard will once again team up with Conservative Officer Shane Brown with the GA DNR to teach the GA Hunter Safety Certification Class. The class will be held at the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office Training Room on March 3rd & March 4th from 6:00pm-10:00pm. You must attend both classes. We need you to please register in order to have enough teaching material. Please click on the link to register.


15th       Waiting For A Cure: Sheriff Jarrard and the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office will be "taking over" the Wagon Wheel Restaurant on Sunday, March 15th from 2-8pm for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. We will be working for gratuities. All the "tip" money raised will go to the American Cancer Society. Join us for an afternoon of good food, excellent service for a good cause. Thank you Ronnie Fortner and Rose Tompkins for always supporting this fundraiser. 
29th John Wayne Movie Night: " DUKE OUT CANCER WITH JOHN WAYNE" The Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office will be hosting a "Night at the Movies with John Wayne" on Sunday, March 29th at 4:00pm at the historical Holly Theatre in Dahlonega, GA. There is no charge for this event but we will be accepting donations for the American Cancer Society. 
APRIL

11th Community Easter Eggtravaganza: The Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office will be teaming up once again with R-Ranch in the mountains and the Lumpkin Family Connections to host one of the largest Easter Egg Hunts in North Georgia. The festivities will take place at the Lodge of the R-Ranch, 65 R-Ranch Drive, Dahlonega, GA. We will have Easter Egg Dying, Bouncy Houses and more starting at 2:00pm. The Easter Egg Hunt will begin PROMPTLY at 3:00pm. All activities will be concluded at 4:00pm. There is no charge!
25TH:  LIFESOUTH BLOOD DRIVE:  Each year, the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office is host to the Lifesouth Blood Drive. A mobile unit will be at the Sheriff's Office receiving blood donations. Did you know that one pint of blood can save 3 lives? Be a local hero and donate! You can sign up by clicking the link. 
27th Adult Firearm Safety Class: Sheriff Jarrard is offering our quarterly Adult Firearm Safety Class on Monday, April 27th. Sheriff Jarrard offers this class to the citizens of Lumpkin County at no charge. If you are a resident of Lumpkin County or work in Lumpkin County or a s student of Lumpkin County, then you may participate in the class. We do ask that you register for the class. The class takes place in the training room at the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office and is taught by Retired Major Mike Ramsey. Limited Seating. For more information, call Rhonda Sheppard or visit our Facebook page.
Rhonda Sheppard (706) 482-2628
MESSAGE FROM THE SHERIFF
The New Year has come and gone…out with old in with the new. The New Year brings hope and new beginnings as we begin a new decade of dreams and ambitions. For me, particularly this year as the Georgia Sheriff’s Association President, I am paying close attention to the chatter under the Gold Dome in our Capital City. The General Session is off and running. I wanted to bring to your attention five bills that will be of interest during this session that could affect Law Enforcement. They are Vaping, the Clean Up Bill dealing with Marijuana, Consumer Protection and Expungement. 
As Law Enforcement, our job is NOT to create laws but we are the custodians of the laws that are given life at the Capital by our legislators. This past year, we have heard much about the effects of Vaping and how many lives have been lost. Currently, the death toll for vaping related illnesses is up 33 percent.  Our lawmakers at the Capital will be taking a closer look at this industry and possibly making some “flavors” prohibited. 
The second bill directly affecting law enforcement is the Marijuana “Clean Up Bill”.  Last year’s legislation allowed the possession of raw hemp in small amounts. Law enforcement does not have a viable way to test TCH oil in the field. As law enforcement, our concern is to protect property and life. We will be watching our legislators with a stern eye on how this Bill is revisited and modify. As Sheriff, I want to make sure all citizens are safe on the roadway. This is why in Lumpkin County; we continue to make traffic stops with cases involving less than ounce of Marijuana to ensure all our citizens are safe when on the roadways. Elected Officials under the Gold Dome, I encourage you to do what is right with this issue and not succumb to political pressure from other states.  
As brick and mortar businesses are decreasing and the earned revenue on the internet are increasing, personal data has made consumers susceptible to identity theft. This bill will receive a lot of attention during the General Session. The last bill concerning law enforcement will be Consumer Protection and Expungement. Some legislators would like to include non-violent felons to enjoy the automatic record restriction that would seal their criminal documents after a statutorily set number of years depending on the severity of the crimes. 
I suspect as always, the General Session will be active but I encourage you to pay close attention to what takes place under the Gold Dome and when needed, you may need to remind your legislators that they “work” for you. I will be constant contact be in with my mine.