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Fulton County sheriff addresses recent staff misconduct, accountability
The Fulton County Jail is in a state of crisis. That assessment does not come from a critic, but from Sheriff Pat Labat himself. He sat down with FOX 5 to discuss the recent incidents and the accountability he is put on his deputies and staff.
ATLANTA - The Fulton County Sheriff says he knows some of his officers have been "bought off" by inmates leading to serious acts of misconduct.
"Those individuals are and will be put in the jail," Sheriff Patrick Labat told FOX 5 in a wide-ranging interview.
Sheriff Labat has a lot of obstacles to producing a smooth running, violence-free facility.
Stabbings are not uncommon.
Aside from the inmate-on-inmate violence, a female deputy came under assault last Friday by a prisoner who bit off a chunk of her ear.
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That man was one of more than 300 assigned to the third floor of the jail.
It is housing for individuals with some sort of mental incapacity.
"It is the culmination of so many things happening at once," Labat said. "So, I understand the concerns of the public."
Fulton County Jail has been plagued with numerous issues over the years.
A deputy was recently fired for allegedly opening doors for an inmate; officers are under suspicion for allowing inmates to order from restaurants; an inmate reportedly bit off part of a deputy's ear; and a female officer was caught on camera being intimate with an inmate.
A few weeks ago, more than 200 shanks, a cellphone, tobacco products and other smoking materials were discovered inside the Fulton County Jail.
In February, a detention officer was arrested after being accused of not protecting an inmate from physical harm and aiding and abetting during the commission of a crime.
The sheriff, over the weekend, made wholesale changes to his leadership team at the jail.
However, he also has a manpower problem. He has fewer than 400 deputies and officers, currently almost 300 short.
They are trying to monitor several thousand inmates. The Fulton County Jail is one of the largest jails in the country, with a capacity of over 2,500 inmates.
He said he is counting on "the vast majority" of his staff who care about their jobs and have integrity.