MACON, Ga. — Bibb County's top cop officially launched his re-election campaign Thursday.
Sheriff David Davis is trying for his fourth term in office since his election in 2012. This time, Davis' slogan is, 'Together, Stronger.'
The sheriff says his campaign launch at the Marriott City Center on Coliseum Drive embodied that.
Davis says people in attendance came from all over Macon and Bibb County. He says that's important to him because he's responsible for keeping the whole county safe.
Davis acknowledged struggles over his last term, like October's jail escape and ongoing staffing shortages. He points to falling violent crime numbers and more job applications flowing into his office as successes.
"All of those challenges, we have faced together as a community, and we have become stronger for it. The proof is in the pudding. We're seeing violent crime numbers go down. We're seeing people wanting to come and work for the sheriff's office now," Davis said.
From high-tech solutions like cameras to a tutoring service, Davis hopes new initiatives will help his deputies fight crime and win him another term.
"We're seeing new programs that we're putting out there, and that's what this is all about: to be listening to our community and responsive to their needs. That's what I've done throughout my terms as sheriff," he said.
Davis says he's eager for the possibility of another term with opportunities like helping design a new Bibb County jail.
Challengers:
Davis faces four challengers, like long-time patrol officer Christopher Paul. He started at the Macon Police Department in 1999 and moved over to the Bibb County Sheriff's Office in 2014 with consolidation.
"We want to get our young kids involved. Having them not be a part of the problem, but coming up with solutions to some of the issues that they're dealing with so we can make our community safer and better," Paul said when he launched his campaign in September.
Paul plans to help them come up with solutions with a youth commission.
DeAndre Hall is a violent crimes investigator at the Bibb Sheriff's Office. He also wants to boost youth programs and plans to enhance jail conditions.
"Everybody that's in jail is not a murderer, or a rapist, or a robber. There are people in there that are just being housed," he said in November at his campaign kickoff.
Hall has additional goals to boost deputy numbers.
Marshall Hughes, a graduate of Northeast High School, has nearly 10 years of experience with the Bibb County Sheriff's Office. At his first campaign event last month, he thanked people for supporting him.
"Thank you all for coming out. Thank you all for supporting me and my family. I need your vote. Vote Marshall Hughes for your next sheriff of Macon-Bibb County," he said.
Before Thursday, Ron Rodgers was the latest to announce his campaign. According to his LinkedIn profile, he's a former Centerville police chief. Rodgers has 30 years of law enforcement experience. He plans to improve relationships between deputies and Maconites.
"There are some people that we overlook that sometimes we just need to talk to. And that's public service. That's public service, and that's the dynamic that I bring," he said last month.
The primary is set for May 21 and the general election is Nov. 5.