Proven Leadership.
Safer Communities.
Protecting Jefferson County Families
Building Trust Between Law Enforcement & Communities
Keeping Our Neighborhoods, Schools & Churches Safe
600,000+
Residents protected
3,000+
Crime stoppers arrests facilitated
Millions of dollars in stolen property recovered
1,050
Professionals Trained in crisis response
The Pettway Plan
Protecting our Children in Schools
Sheriff Mark Pettway works to ensure safe schools by providing enhanced equipment and ensuring law enforcement's presence in our schools. He believes neither school administrators nor teachers should be responsible for using a weapon to protect our children; that's the job of law enforcement officers.
Bridging The Gap
Sheriff Pettway has prioritized building stronger relationships between the Sheriff’s office and the community. Sheriff Pettway has regularly gone into the community with his “Jobs Not Jail” program. This program has impacted hundreds of residents by helping connect people to jobs, apply for expungements, or provide assistance to recover driver licenses.
Criminal Justice Reform
Sheriff Pettway has introduced mentoring programs that steer young people away from destructive behaviors and decisions. He implemented the “Renewed For Reentry” program in the jail that allow inmates to earn a GED or High School Diploma and provide opportunities for them to learn a job skills and learn restorative justice. Dozens of employers have visited the jail to interview program participants.
Law Enforcement Training
As a former Law Enforcement instructor, Sheriff Pettway knows that training is critical for our deputies to effectively serve the community, recognize and better address the needs of citizens suffering from mental illnesses and drug addictions. Sheriff Pettway built a new state of the art training facility to ensure year-round training for deputies. He believes that his best asset is a well-trained deputy.
Meet Mark
On November 6, 2018, Jefferson County Alabama elected Mark Pettway as its first African-American sheriff. Established in 1819, Jefferson County had never had an African-American elected to this top law enforcement office. After his election, Sheriff Pettway immediately started fulfilling his campaign promises. Partnering with Lawson State Community College and The Dannon Project, he has helped incarcerated inmates (with non-violent crimes) get the opportunity to rehabilitate themselves and stop the “revolving door.” A program called “Renewed for Reentry” is used as alternative sentencing. In October 2019, nineteen members in the first class received their certificates of completion and were placed in jobs before being released from jail.
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