Meet the Candidates: Dale Dillow, Republican Candidate for Sheriff

I would like for our Sheriff’s Office to be more proactive. With our ever changing county, we have to keep up with the law enforcement needs that we now face. Crime in our county is growing and the amount of violent crime and drug use has to be addressed. I will initiate programs such as aggressive patrol units, K9 Units, and a Narcotics Unit. These are basic forms of law enforcement that are essential to fight crime and serve our county. K9 units for example would be not only for drug interdiction, but also for tracking. If we have a child or a person with dementia walk away from home and get lost, I do not want to wait for a K9 to come from another county (if available) to do our work. Time is of the essence in these cases and we have to be prepared.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I believe I am the best candidate to serve as Sheriff because of my dedication to Jackson County. I have served Jackson County at the Sheriff’s Office for over 23 years. I have worked in the Jail, Patrol, and Investigations. I obtained the rank of Captain and the position of Chief Investigator. I have spent my entire career at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. I have seen what has worked and what has not worked. I want to build upon what has worked and serve and protect this county the very best that I can.

What is the most important issue you see that involves the position you are running for?

Crime against our citizens is an important issue to me. This includes thefts, drugs, and gang activity. This also involves protecting you, your children, and your property. I want our deputies to have the tools and training to do their jobs the best as possible. This would include more Flock cameras (traffic cameras) that deputies can use the data obtained to fight crime and track missing persons.

Tell voters a little about yourself and your background:

I grew up on a small farm in the Brockton / Apple Valley community. My parents are Allen and Vicki Dillow. My dad retired from the Jackson County BOE after 30+ years of service and my mother has worked for Athens Regional for 40 years. I graduated in 1997 from Jackson County High School where I met my wife, Wendy Brookshire, who is an Assistant Principal at a Jackson County School and also a 2000 graduate from Jackson County High. We have 3 children: Lawton, Jaycee, and Brooks. We attend church at The Grove in Maysville where we serve in different capacities. I served the citizens of Jackson County for over 23 years at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. I started as a jailer and attended the Northeast Ga Police Academy in Athens. I then worked patrol for several years and was promoted to work on the SCAT Team. This is the Sheriff’s Criminal Apprehension Team that worked high crime areas to help reduce drug use, prevent property crimes, and make this county safer. In 2004, I was promoted to Lieutenant Investigator where I worked on cases for the next 12 years ranging from property crimes to homicides. I also spent several years working crimes against children and special victims and was over the sex offender registry. During my time as an investigator I investigated over 2000 cases. In December of 2016, I was asked to take over as the Chief Investigator, and in January of 2017 I was officially promoted to the rank of Captain. I have supervised up to 15 criminal investigators who worked over 10,000 criminal cases ranging from homicides, suicides, drug cases, child molestation, property crimes, and white collar crimes. I have personally been the lead investigator or overseen the lead investigator on eight murder cases, more than 45 suicides, and more than 60 other death cases. I also went back to college in the evenings and received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Reinhardt University. I obtained this degree on my own time and paid for it out of my pocket. I did not receive a pay increase from the county. I did this solely to make myself a better law enforcement officer to better serve my home county.

The sheriff’s office is the largest single area of county government. But there has been an ongoing staffing shortage both in the jail operations and general law enforcement operations. What do you propose to do differently to help attract more staffing to the department?

I plan on starting a K9 Division (This would have dual purpose K9s for both drug interdiction and tracking of not only suspects but missing children and persons with dementia that may have wandered away from home), SCAT Team (This is the Sheriff’s Criminal Apprehension Team that worked high crime areas to help reduce drug use, prevent property crimes, and make this county safer.) , SERT Team ( This is a Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team to respond to high risk situations such as barricaded suspects, hostage rescues, active shooters, and to serve high risk warrants.) , and a Narcotics Unit that I would like to partner with other law enforcement agencies in the county to fight the growing drug issues. I will work to make sure our deputies are provided with the best equipment to better serve and protect you and them. By starting these programs and having the resources needed I hope to attract new deputies and retain deputies that want to serve in the specialized positions.

If elected as your Sheriff, I promise to serve you and your family with fairness and dignity. I will seek guidance from God in each and every decision that I will make as Sheriff. In my years at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, I have always tried to stay humble in my dealings with the citizens of this county. I put myself in their position and treat them how I would want my loved ones treated. I have dedicated my life to serving Jackson County. I have spent countless hours away from my family all hours of the day, night, and weekend to serve the citizens of this county. All I ever wanted to do was to serve my home county where I grew up. I want to thank you and I humbly ask for your support and vote in this election.