Fulton County sheriff seeks $1.2M funding boost for deputy overtime

ATLANTA - Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat warned county commissioners this week that morale among his officers is already low and could worsen unless the county reinstates overtime pay for deputies who work long hours. Labat claims county officials cut $2 million from his overtime budget earlier this year, leaving sworn officers with only the option to earn comp time when they exceed their scheduled hours.

"Our overtime, if you recall when the budget was ratified, it was reduced by $2 million," Labat told commissioners in a recent meeting.

Labat appeared before the commission Wednesday, seeking an additional $1.2 million in overtime pay for the final quarter of the year. He emphasized the heavy workload faced by his staff, which includes monitoring the largest number of registered sex offenders in Georgia and managing the transportation of inmates to and from courts and state prisons.

"As you know, we have the largest number of registered sexual offenders in the state," Labat explained. "We have some 4,000 in the mighty ‘six,’ another 4,000 in Commissioner Hall’s district that we are responsible for making sure we track."

The sheriff also cited the extensive security his deputies provided during the recent election season, protecting polling sites and high-profile politicians who visited the metro Atlanta area. "We had as many as 15 to 20 different candidates, whether they [were] presidential or vice-presidential, coming to our area," Labat noted. "The women and men of [the] Fulton County Sheriff’s Office have really stood stern around even election security."

However, the commissioners denied Labat’s request for additional funds. Commission Chair Robb Pitts argued that the sheriff’s department has not managed its resources responsibly.

"The commission hasn’t slashed his budget. His budget has increased some 60-plus percent through the years," Pitts said. "So, I’m not sure why he keeps saying that. It’s documented."

The debate is set to continue in two weeks when Labat plans to renew his request for overtime funds. Pitts added that if Labat can muster the four votes needed, he might just get his funding increase.