Editor’s Note: The following statement was provided by Sheriff Johnny Moats to Polk.Today. the will continue to serve the people of Polk County unopposed in the 2020 Election.

I am pleased to announce that I will be running unopposed this year in the upcoming Polk County Sheriff’s race. I would like to thank all of the people that have supported me throughout these past 7 years since I’ve been your sheriff.

It has and will continue to be an honor to serve all of Polk County as your sheriff. I believe the main reason I don’t have any opposition this year is because of my staff. In my administration alone we have over 100 years of experience in law enforcement. We have close to 80 employees at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office that work hard every day to serve our citizens.

We will continue to serve Polk County just as we have the past 7 plus years. We will always be transparent, honest, respectable, and easy to be reached by our citizens. Our office has started many programs since I have been sheriff, without cost to the taxpayers.

One of these programs is the “Are You OK” program that checks on our elderly citizens. Another one of our programs is the “CHAMPS” program that we teach to all 5th grade students every year. This program teaches your children about drugs, alcohol, vaping, bullying, ATV safety, gangs, and many other subjects to prepare your children for the dangers in our society.

We also have 3 inmate work details that work to save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. We have also obtained 2 K9’s, free of charge, to help with the drug problem in our county and to help find lost or missing people. These are just a few of the things we have started since I took office in January of 2013.

One of the things I was passionate about when I first became sheriff was to help organize a Joint Drug Task Force to help fight the battle against drugs. Within my first year in office it became reality and the fight on drugs began with the help of the Cedartown Police, Rockmart Police, Polk County Police and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Together we have made a huge dent in our drug problem and we will continue to fight the drug problems in our county. We will never stop all of the drug problems but we will never give up the fight.

I look forward to serving Polk County again for the next 4 years and many more years if God lets me. My door is always open if you ever need me. Thank you for your loyal support and God bless you all.

-Sheriff Johnny Moats