The former sheriff of DeKalb County has officially lost his law enforcement certification, more than two years after he was arrested for allegedly exposing himself in an Atlanta park and running from a police officer.
Jeffrey Mann was sheriff until Dec. 1, when he retired after more than five years in office.
After his May 2017 arrest in Piedmont Park, Mann pleaded guilty to charges of obstruction and prohibited conduct and was sentenced to pay fines of $2,000 and serve 80 hours of community service. Gov. Nathan Deal also suspended the sheriff for 40 days.
In September 2017, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, the state's police oversight agency, voted to revoke his certification.
But Mann appealed that decision, allowing him to retain his certification — and his employment — while the appeals process dragged on.
Mann announced last month he would retire at the end of the month, though he did not provide a specific reason for leaving his post 13 months before his term would end.
He was scheduled to appear before a state board this week for a hearing on his POST status. But because he resigned, Mann dropped the appeal to keep his certification, according to his attorney, Noah Pines.
POST records show that Mann’s certification has since been revoked.
Upon Mann's retirement, Melody Maddox, the chief deputy sheriff, became sheriff. She is the first woman in DeKalb history to hold that title, which involves overseeing the county jail and security at DeKalb's courthouses.
Maddox plans to run next year to continue serving as sheriff. Several former law enforcement officials, including Ted Golden, Antonio Johnson and Carl Mobley, have announced they also intend to run for the seat. DeKalb County Sheriff's Major Ruth Stringer, who served as interim sheriff when Mann was suspended, has also launched a bid.
Newsroom data specialist Jennifer Peebles contributed to this report.
About the Author
