BRUNSWICK, Ga. — On Tuesday, voters in Georgia will head to the polls to cast their ballots in the Primary Election. In Glynn County, Sheriff Neal Jump is running for his fourth term as head of the sheriff's office.
Jump has been in law enforcement since he was 17 years old. He worked with the Georgia State Patrol for more than 30 years before running for sheriff in 2012. Now, he is preparing for another term.
“I enjoy serving the people of Glynn County. I run every day for my next term because I enjoy what I do," Jump said.
His last four years in office happened as Glynn County was thrust into the national spotlight over the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. While the Glynn County Sheriff's Office was not involved in the investigation, Jump said he is proud of the way his office responded to the hundreds of people visiting the county to show support for the Arbery family.
“The people of Glynn County and the Arbery family stepped up front and said we want court, we want it to be heard, but we want everything to be peaceful. And from day one, that's what we did," Jump explained.
Jump stayed visible at the courthouse throughout the trial and created a designated area for supporters to set up.
As he looks ahead to the next four years, Jump said his job is not finished yet. He said the biggest challenge facing the agency right now is finding enough people to fully staff the Glynn County Detention Center.
"We're down 30 employees in the back on detention. We're allotted 109 detention officers. The hardest job is getting good qualified detention officers. You get them you got to train them and to keep them," Jump said.
Despite that challenge, he does not have a shortage of deputies, which he attributes to keeping an open-door policy.
“A lot of men and women don't have a sounding board at home. So if I can be their sounding board and listen to what their cares and concerns are, I'll do it," Jump said.
Jump is running unopposed and will only appear on the Republican ballot. For more information on the Georgia Primary Election, click here.