Brock Washington has announced his intention to run for Decatur County Sheriff. The position is currently held by Wiley Griffin.

Washington, 63, is a former Bainbridge Public Safety officer and a U.S. Navy veteran. He is a native of Savannah, Ga., and has lived in Brinson for the last 19 years.

“We need to concentrate on preventing crime, rather than just reacting to it,” he said. “One of my biggest goals would be to reduce the recidivism rate.”

Washington is a 1966 graduate of Johnson High School and a 1971 graduate of Savannah State College. He graduated from the Georgia Police Academy in 1972.

He worked for the Chatham County Police Department from 1971-1974, Bainbridge Public Safety from 1995-2000, and the Georgia Department of Corrections from 2000-2009. He is also a retiree from the IBM Corporation, where he worked from 1974-1993.

“I’ve actually been a policeman, and have been a lieutenant with the Department of Corrections,” Washington said. “I’ve got administrative skills and business experience from working from IBM, as well. My slogan is leadership, not politics.”

Washington said his main goals are to protect the public, especially crime victims, to focus on illegal drug and gang activity, and to use existing programs to help reduce the high recidivism rate. He said he admires local mentoring programs like Alesia Brinson’s 1 on 1 Mentoring Program, and believes those kinds of programs are key to reducing crime rates.

“Studies show that you can limit future criminals by reaching them when they are young,” he said. “I think mentoring programs can make a big difference. It doesn’t have to be ‘Scared Straight’ where they talk to an inmate; sometimes it just needs an adult to show them the right choices to make.”

Washington has been married for 43 years to his wife, Linda, and they have two children and three grandchildren. He is a deacon at Union Missionary Baptist Church, where he also serves as a Sunday school teacher and Bible teacher.

“I believe that law enforcement should be dispensed fairly, with justice for all,” he said. “I will work for, and serve, all the people in Decatur County — not just a few. Every citizen of Decatur County should have full access to their sheriff.”