Dougherty County Sheriff Kevin Sproul looks back on 20 years in office

ALBANY – Dougherty County’s top lawman will hang onto his white hat when he leaves office, but the retiring sheriff has no plans to ride off into the sunset when he completes his fourth term at the end of the year.

Sproul, who dons the special hat for occasions such as the annual Shop With the Sheriff each December, has not decided what’s next, but he says he plans to stay in his hometown. Although he has had some job offers, he has not decided what the next chapter in his life will be.

“That’s the million-dollar question,” Sproul said. “Everybody asks me that. I’m going to see what the Lord wants to do with me.

“I’ve been married for 41 years. I’ve got a wife (Vicki) who’s taken care of me, kissed me goodbye each day not knowing if I was going to be home again. I’ve been working since I was 14 years old. I’m going to spend some time with my wife.”

The sheriff, who started work at the department in 1982, will turn over the reins at the beginning of 2025 to current Chief Deputy Terron Hayes, who won the May Democratic primary and faces no Republican opponent in November.

Sproul, who was elected to his first term as Dougherty County Sheriff in 2008, started work with the office in 1982 as a jailer, pushed then-Sheriff Lamar Stewart to allow him to work in schools. He also spent time at the McDonald’s near the Albany Mall discussing issues with teenagers as part of his work.

It was while teaching Sunday school classes in the 1990s that Sproul heard stories from his students about drug and gang activities on campuses.

“I went to Sheriff (Jamil) Saba, in 1992 I believe, and told him I’d like to start hanging out on high school campuses,” Sproul said.

Saba allowed Sproul to visit campuses on Fridays and do his regular duties of serving court papers and warrants Monday-Thursday.

“I was able to minister with a lot of kids who were dealing with issues,” he said. “It just kind of took off from there.”

It was Saba who asked the future sheriff to initiate the Shop With the Sheriff event around 2000. The program provides lunch and a shopping spree for underprivileged children for the Christmas holiday.

With his experience working in the school system, Sproul, who dons his white hat for the Christmas events, was able to work with administrators to find students to participate.

The manager at Ryan’s restaurant offered to provide a free meal for the youngsters, a role that the Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse had taken on in recent years. The Albany Target store also offered a discount to the students for their purchases.

“I asked each counselor to pull one kid who may not have Christmas that year,” he said. “It started with 17 or 18 kids. That’s how we got started. It’s taken off from there.”

The effort is mainly funded through an annual golf tournament.

The sheriff’s office also hosts an annual Unity in the Community barbecue in the fall, and the 2024 event is scheduled for Sept. 28. Sproul said the event is another way his office reaches out to children and the community.

“When I started working with kids, I wanted to encourage them,” he said. “I wanted to empower them. I wanted them to see a role model in the law. That was probably one of my greatest achievements in law enforcement, seeing a young person’s life turned around.”

Over the years, Sproul has taken that aspect of his job home with him. He and Vicki have had several children live with them over the years when the children’s home environment included negative influences like domestic violence, substance abuse or gang activity. One of those who became a Marine invited the couple to see her graduate boot camp at Parris Island in South Carolina.

“It brought tears to my eyes to see her march,” Sproul said. “We provided a safe home for kids to stay as long as necessary to give them a light at the end of the tunnel … from a weekend to months on end.”

On another occasion, a boy the sheriff knew who was a McDonald’s employee was struggling.

“I said ‘Here’s my address if you’re about to do something stupid,’” Sproul said. “He rang my bell late at night. We were able to help him get through that trying time. There are several stories that, when I look back on it, I thank God I went to work at the jail in 1982. I try to share these stores to show you can have an impact on someone’s life by what you do or don’t do.”

During the interview, Sproul acknowledged some of the people who helped him over the years. In the 1990s, Saba had Sproul meet C.T. and Sara Oxford, the latter of whom he accompanied to Atlanta on trips where she met with a seamstress, serving as her driver and “bodyguard” on the occasions.

“She asked me about my plans,” he said. “I said I wanted to be sheriff. She said she and her husband would pay every penny for me to go to college. She said ‘You’ll need it.’

“My mother- and father-in-law, David and Elizabeth Bullington are the best in-laws anybody could ever have.”

The sheriff also thanked the employees who have provided what he called exceptional service during his years on the job and in the community.

When he leaves, Sproul said he is leaving the office in good hands with Hayes. To work for the sheriff’s office Hayes, then an Albany Police Department officer, took a $12,000 pay cut when he initially came onboard, Sproul said. And, the outgoing sheriff noted, his replacement also cares about the young people in the community.

Another legacy the retiring sheriff hopes to leave is that of working to build relationships and trust with the community.

“We need a little more light, a little more love,” he said. “Love will change people. Treat people right and love will change them.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]