Gwinnett County Sheriff Jonathan “Keybo” Taylor announced Tuesday that he will seek a second term in next year’s elections.
Taylor, a Democrat, became Gwinnett’s first Black sheriff when he first won the post in 2020. On his first day in office, he ended the county’s participation in a controversial immigration program that deputizes local officials to enforce federal immigration laws in jails. He also disbanded the jail’s Rapid Response Team, which was accused of using excessive force on inmates.
In a news release, Taylor also said he established an anti-gang unit and a Trafficking and Child Exploitation Unit in the sheriff’s office.
“My goal is to create an effective law enforcement system in Gwinnett County,” Taylor said. “Our work is not done, and I possess the experience and values to continue to lead Gwinnett forward.”
Taylor grew up in Lawrenceville and attended Central Gwinnett High School. He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Mercer University and a master’s degree in public administration from Columbus State University. He served in the Gwinnett County Police Department for 26 years, where he was the department’s first Black major, overseeing the east and south precincts.
He lives in Buford and has three children and eight grandchildren.
The owners of three bail bond companies have accused Taylor of extortion, saying he shut them down for failing to donate to his 2020 campaign. The Georgia Attorney General’s office last month closed an investigation into the matter without prosecuting. Two of the companies have ongoing lawsuits against Taylor.
The other bond company owner, Scott Hall, settled with Taylor and no longer operates in Gwinnett.
Hall was indicted in Fulton County last week along with former President Donald Trump on racketeering and conspiracy charges as part of an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Hall appears in security footage from Jan. 7, 2021, during a data breach at the Coffee County Board of Elections.
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