- Sheriff Cullen Talton, who was appointed in 1972, has now announced he will step down from his position next year
- Sheriff Talton was a dairy farmer before becoming a county commissioner and later sheriff of Houston County
- At a ceremony earlier this week, Talton was named the longest-serving sheriff not only in Georgia, but in the United States
A 91-year-old sheriff has announced he will turn in his badge after more than 50 years as Georgia County’s top attorney, making him the state’s longest-serving police officer.
Houston County Sheriff Cullen Talton has confirmed that he will not run for re-election in 2024 and will step down at the end of his term.
Born in 1932, the former dairy farmer was first elected sheriff in 1972 after also serving as a county commissioner.
Houston County commissioners called Talton the longest-serving sheriff not only in Georgia but in the United States when they honored him earlier this week.
The sheriff, who has been in the position for over fifty years, said he still enjoys his job but would soon be turning in his badge. “I enjoy what I do.” I like people. It’s time for me to hang it up so I don’t freak out again,
Houston County Sheriff Cullen Talton, pictured here, has now said he will step down from his position next year after more than 50 years as county commissioner
When Talton took over as head of the department in 1972, he was responsible for just 28 employees, but now there are over 300.
Talton was elected in 1966 and took office as county commissioner the following year.
However, in his second term as commissioner, he left the office, saying he saw a need for professional law enforcement in the sheriff’s office.
His campaign promise at the time was that he would be professional, even though he had never worked in law enforcement before.
At that time the district had around 63,000 residents. There are now almost 170,000.
In his early days, he had his first experience of murder, which he said was a big deal for him since he had never been involved with law enforcement.
In a previous interview with Mike Chaloult of the Digital Library of Georgia, the sheriff said, “We’ve had a lot of time trying to solve this problem, we’ve had a lot of it since then.”
“We have three unsolved murders in forty years. ‘
During the interview, Talton also recalled how he once stopped a driver without noticing that the car was over railroad tracks.
As the sheriff exited his own vehicle to check the license plate, a train whistle sounded in the distance and the driver fled the scene.
He recalled: “As I got out to check the driver’s license, I heard the train whistle and it just drove off and left me standing there. “I had the train between me and him.
Laughing, he added: “We got a good look at him, so we caught him later, which was kind of embarrassing.”
On Tuesday, leaders and community members gathered at the Houston County Annex for a meeting to honor the longtime sheriff.
Among those who attended the ceremony honoring Talton earlier this week were two of his great-grandchildren, including 12-year-old Ellie Talton.
When Talton took over as head of the department in 1972, he was responsible for just 28 employees, but now there are over 300
She told 13WMAZ: “He did a great job and deserves every bit of credit. I just love how much he just doesn’t want to take the credit but gives it to others.”
“That just had a big impact on me.” He was always the peacemaker in the family.
“He’s just a role model to me.” The way he always loves everyone and the way he always wants to serve.
“It impacts not just me, but the entire county.” Just loving others and serving others, not just at the county level
Chairman Dan Perdue said, “I think if there is one word I would use to describe Sheriff Talton, it is ‘servant’ because he has been a servant of this community and a servant of the public for so long.”
