Candidate for Dawson County Sheriff
Name: Marcus Sewell
Age: 41
How Long have you lived in Dawson County: 28 of the last 32 years.
Occupation: Criminal Investigations Captain at Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office
Education: Dawson County Graduate
Political Experience: None
Career experience: I have worked every facet of law enforcement including Commander over Jail, Special Services, 911, Criminal Investigations
Community involvement: Dawson County Rotary, Leadership Dawson County, feeding the hungry, coached youth teams
Why are you running for Dawson County Sheriff? I prayed about this for two years. I am a servant of God, my family and my community. I believe the citizens deserve a better sheriff's office and I can provide that. This is my family's home too and I want to ensure our citizens have a safe place to live, work and raise their families. I also want to ensure that our tax dollars are spent wisely.
What makes you the best candidate for Dawson County Sheriff? Two things. I am trained in every phase of law enforcement and I can manage the sheriff’s office more effectively and efficiently than my opponents. The incumbent has wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars in 4 years by not working cooperatively with county commissioners. I will work with them as I have in Lumpkin County where I found ways to bring in revenue to offset operational costs. I worked to put inmates into the workforce and helped the county generate $2 million by housing out-of-county prisoners.
What do you consider to be the biggest challenge you will face as sheriff and how do you plan to address this concern? Meeting the challenge of growth to ensure every citizen and business has the highest level of service.
What will be your top three priorities as sheriff and why? Leadership, budget and personnel. I will put leaders in place to better lead in an efficient and productive way. I will stop the wasteful spending and work with county commissioners to find greater efficiencies to save taxpayer dollars. I will reassign positions that the county already operates and put those positions in the jail, patrol and investigations.
What is your definition of leadership and what are some examples of leadership positions you have held throughout your career? Leading and motivating a group of people towards a common goal. In 11 years, I have commanded four different divisions and a region representative of the Georgia Sheriff's Association Jail Advisory Committee. I’ve commanded two major events in Lumpkin County: The Rainbow Festival that brought in over 5,000 people and the ANTIFA rally in Dahlonega.
How are you preparing to take office? I’ve studied the sheriff's office budget for two years and found ways to eliminate wasteful spending and generate revenue. I’ve talked with citizens to understand their concerns. I’ve talked to other sheriffs about budgets, personnel, community involvement, jail procedures and different ways to deter and investigate criminal activity. I am always looking for new and innovative ways to better serve and protect the citizens of Dawson County.