FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat says he is taking legal action against the Fulton County Commission to get the funds he needs to effectively do his job.
Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Mark Winne spoke with Labat who said some of the commissioners don’t want his deputies out on the streets enforcing the law like they should be.
The sheriff says last month, one of his inmate transport vans with more than 138,000 miles on it broke down after picking up an inmate in Bibb County. That same van broke down a few months ago in Alpharetta.
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Labat says the van breakdowns and difficulty in getting the funds to replace them is just one example of a breakdown in his ability to get what the sheriff’s office needs to do its job.
He says some commissioners seem to think he should focus on running the Fulton County Jail and providing courthouse security. But he says the Georgia Constitution says a sheriff is the county’s chief law enforcement officer.
“Chief law enforcement officer in the county, that’s just words on paper. Number one responsibility, job number one: Run the Fulton County Jail. Period. Particularly with the problems that we have,” Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said.
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Winne obtained a copy of a letter sent from Labat to Pitts that read, in part:
“I am left with no choice but to file a civil suit against the Fulton County Board of Commissioners to advocate for my office and for my people.”
Sheriff Labat says he wants the commission to pay for a lawyer for the sheriff’s office to sue the commission because the County Attorney can’t represent both sides.
“If we’re required to provide counsel for him, I’m sure we will,” Pitts said.
Pitts says he likes Labat, but he needs to focus on running the jail and leave the policing to city police departments.
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