From operating the county jail and 911 center to providing courthouse security, transporting inmates across state lines and responding to mental-health emergencies, Jeff Davis County Sheriff Preston Bohannon told Hazlehurst Rotarians Wednesday that much of the work performed by the Sheriff’s Office happens outside the public eye.
Bohannon was the guest speaker at this week’s Hazlehurst Rotary Club meeting. He was introduced by Kurt Davis, who noted Bohannon has spent 25 years in law enforcement — one year with a police department, 10 years as a deputy and 14 years as sheriff.
Bohannon used the meeting to give members a broader look at the responsibilities of his office and answer questions from the group. Bohannon began by explaining that the Sheriff’s Office is one of four constitutional offices in the county. While funded locally, its duties and responsibilities are established under Georgia law.
He said the public often sees only a small portion of what the office is responsible for. Among those responsibilities are operation of the jail, Sheriff’s Office and 911 center; courthouse and court security; civil processes; warrants; inmate transportation; sex-offender registration; and numerous other duties required by state law.
The office is also working toward accreditation through the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association. Bohannon said the accreditation process evaluates the office against 236 specific standards covering legal and operational responsibilities.
One accomplishment Bohannon said he is particularly proud of is the expansion of the School Resource Officer program. When he first took office, the county had one SRO. Beginning with the current school year, Bohannon said all four Jeff Davis schools now have an SRO.
Later in the program, a former school-system employee thanked the Sheriff’s Office for its relationship with the schools, including assistance with students and families as well as everyday needs such as traffic. Bohannon said supporting the school system is an important part of the office’s role in the community. “The children are our future,” he said.
Bohannon also discussed the amount of work involved in maintaining the county’s registered sex-offender information. He said Jeff Davis County had approximately 13 registered offenders when he took office. Today, he said, that number stands at 58.
While state law requires periodic verification, Bohannon said his office goes beyond the minimum requirement and verifies registered offenders every 90 days, including checking residences, employment and other information.
The Sheriff’s Office also distributes registry information through several channels, including providing information to local schools. Bohannon said one employee has responsibilities that include overseeing the registry along with training duties.
The conversation turned to mental health when Bohannon discussed the Sheriff’s Office’s responsibility for transporting individuals who have been ordered to receive evaluation or treatment. He described mental-health calls as a continuing challenge for law enforcement, particularly because deputies are often responsible for getting individuals safely off the street and transporting them to facilities that may be hours away. “Mental health is a crisis in this country as a whole, not just here,” Bohannon said.
Representatives at the meeting familiar with the healthcare system also discussed the difficulty of finding available behavioral-health beds and thanked the Sheriff’s Office for its assistance transporting patients from Jeff Davis Hospital to higher levels of care when needed. Bohannon said deputies may make transports to facilities in Savannah, Brunswick, Valdosta, Statesboro and other locations depending on where placement is available.
Bohannon also shared numbers illustrating the volume of work handled by the county’s 911 center and jail.
According to figures he presented, the 911 center received:
- 6,283 calls in 2024
- 7,967 calls in 2025
- 4,124 calls so far in 2026
The jail booked 820 inmates in 2024, 799 in 2025 and 641 so far this year, according to Bohannon.
He said the Sheriff’s Office workforce fluctuates between roughly 72 and 77 employees when fully staffed, with approximately 14 to 15 deputies. The total includes personnel needed to operate the Sheriff’s Office, jail and 911 center around the clock.
Bohannon also addressed questions and past public discussion surrounding construction of the county’s newer jail. He told Rotary members the county ultimately had little choice but to replace the previous facility because of its condition and potential liability.
Before construction moved forward, Bohannon said he assembled a five-person community committee and brought in a health inspector to evaluate the former jail. He also discussed efforts that helped secure funding for the project and said approximately half of the facility was paid for through funding obtained before financing the remaining portion.
Bohannon defended the decision to construct a 120-bed facility rather than building only for the county’s immediate needs. He said adequate space is important because inmates must be properly classified and separated based on factors including the seriousness of their charges and criminal histories.
The facility was also designed so another housing pod could be added in the future if additional capacity is eventually needed.
When asked what he considers the best and worst parts of being sheriff, Bohannon said the best part is helping people. “The best part is being able to help people,” he told the group, particularly when something the office does makes a difference for someone who needs assistance.
He described one of the most difficult experiences of his tenure as dealing with an incident several years ago in which a person’s life was lost. He also noted that he has experienced the deaths of five employees during his years in office.
Rotary members shared several personal examples of interactions with Bohannon and his staff, thanking the department for its response to businesses, schools, the hospital and families during difficult circumstances.
Bohannon closed by acknowledging that neither he nor his department will always get everything right, but said he welcomes questions and constructive feedback from the community. “We’re not perfect. We’re far from perfect, but we’re going to give it what we got,” Bohannon said. “We’re gonna do the right thing.”
The meeting offered Rotarians a look at a Sheriff’s Office Bohannon said operates around the clock — and carries responsibilities that extend well beyond what most residents encounter during a typical call for law enforcement assistance.
