When Stan Evans was elected to sheriff of Jackson County in 1985, he was the youngest sheriff in Georgia. As he steps down at the end of this year after 28 years of service to the citizens of the county, he has one of the longest running careers as sheriff in the state.
As Evans started to pack up his office last week, he took time to reflect on a career that has changed over the years and brought him lots of joy, as well as some challenges.
While that first race in 1985 was close, Evans has won every race since then without a problem and many believe he could have continued on as sheriff as long as he wanted. While he has been tough on crime, he has treated everyone, from the victims to those accused to their families, with respect, which has led to his success. He is often stopped by people he sent to jail who thank him for treating them fairly.
Stan Evans retiring after 28 years as sheriff
Evans first got into politics at the young age of 21 when he was elected as coroner. His grandfather, who was justice of the peace, and his uncle, who was probate judge, were both in politics and he had always been interested in politics, as well as law enforcement.
“It’s Matt Dillon’s fault,” he said with a laugh when asked why he wanted to be sheriff. “Maybe I watched too much ‘Gunsmoke’ and John Wayne movies when I was growing up. I do think a person’s upbringing influences what they want to do in life. I also lived near Mr. Hoard (the district attorney murdered in 1967) and that impressed on me that things had gotten out of hand. As I got older, I became interested in politics. I felt like things could be better in Jackson County and felt like I might be the man to try it. I was blessed. I was fortunate enough to be elected coroner first and I got my feet wet in the political scheme of things and then I moved on to the sheriff’s race.”
When he was elected, he thought he might serve two terms, or eight years, which “seemed to be going rate for a sheriff in this area.”
“I had no idea it would last as long as it has,” he said.
Evans said he has always seen his job as a public service.
“It’s a two way street here,” he said. “It’s never been about me. This job and this office have never been about me. It’s been about serving the people. Every morning when I get up, I look forward to coming to work. Every day on my way to work, my goal for that day and for every day is to try and help someone along the way. I’m not talking about breaking laws for them. You have people who have children and grandchildren and brothers and sisters who run afoul of the law. They’re not bad people. They’ve just made mistakes. We all make mistakes. Some people make mistakes that cost them money and other people make mistakes that puts them in crosshairs of the law.”
Evans said he is often approached by people who have served time who offer thanks to him.
“It’s good years later when they come up to you and tell you that when you locked them up that it made a profound difference in their life,” he said. “I’ve had people come up over the years and I cross paths with them long after they come through here (the jail) and they come up and shake my hand. They tell me that I did my job and they can’t complain about the way they were treated. On the way to work every morning, I just think about that I’m coming to work to try and help someone along the way on life’s journey. I base what I do on that and the law enforcement part just works in to it. You try to be as nice to folks as they will let you be.”
Evans recalls some advice he received years ago from a former Banks County sheriff that has helped him over the years.
“When I grew up, Mr. (M.L.) Harrison was the sheriff up in Banks County and he always told me, you may have a jail full of people and everyone of them has a mama or a daddy or a kid or someone who loves them,” he said. “I try to treat everyone with respect. I think that goes a long way. You treat the employees with respect and everyone you deal with with respect. I’ve seen a lot of mamas and daddy’s hearts broken because of what their kid did. They will cry. I always tell them that what their child did was bad but they can make it through this. I’ll tell them, ‘In the morning, you will be able to hug your kid and tell them you love them. A lot of mamas and daddies don’t get that opportunity because it’s too late because their kids are killed in wrecks and altercations.”
Challenging Times
Evans has had many challenges over the years and times when he was afraid, but one incident that he will always remember was when a high school student came to school with a bomb strapped on. Evans talked to the boy and got him to take the bomb off without injuring himself or anyone else.
“That day still rings pretty clear with me,” Evans said. “I think about that little boy a lot. I wonder how he is doing. I think about that day. It’s hard to explain. At first, I didn’t really believe he had a bomb. As I was talking with him, I realized he was a bright kid and he did have a bomb. It was strange though. I never felt anything but calm. I’ve been afraid plenty of times. I’ve been scared plenty of times, but that day, I didn’t feel any fear. I really think the good Lord sent me out there and gave me the words to talk to that young man. It just worked out. I told that little boy that I had a son and that I wanted to go home and see him and it was in his hands — that either I would be going home to see my son or me and him would be going to heaven together… I was sent there not to perform a miracle but maybe to save that little boy’s life.”
Another case he recalls that was very profound and that he will always remember was the case in Nicholson where a man killed his wife and two children and then committed suicide.
“That was an earth-shattering time for this whole department,” Evans said. “He killed his wife and stabbed his two little boys. My son was about the same age as those two little boys. That really shook me up.”
One of his challenges during his term was the effort for a new jail to be constructed.
“I hated to have to build one and really didn’t want to have to build one. I felt like it should be up to the people. It shouldn’t be up to me or the board of commissioners to decide to build one. It should be put to a vote. The people supported it. I think it was wise. The other one was falling down.”
TIME TO RETIRE
Evans said he decided to retire as he got older and his priorities changed.
“A man reaches a point in his life where his priorities change,” he said. “For such a long, long time, this office has been my number one priority. It’s come above most everything. A public servant ought to be dedicated to their job and to the people. As I said, a man’s priority changes over the years…I get more calls at home than at the office. That takes away from your private time and your family time…I hope to spend a lot of time with my parents and my son and my wife. It’s just the right time. The Good Lord told me it was the right time. ”
“It’s Matt Dillon’s fault,” he said with a laugh when asked why he wanted to be sheriff. “Maybe I watched too much ‘Gunsmoke’ and John Wayne movies when I was growing up. I do think a person’s upbringing influences what they want to do in life. I also lived near Mr. Hoard (the district attorney murdered in 1967) and that impressed on me that things had gotten out of hand. As I got older, I became interested in politics. I felt like things could be better in Jackson County and felt like I might be the man to try it. I was blessed. I was fortunate enough to be elected coroner first and I got my feet wet in the political scheme of things and then I moved on to the sheriff’s race.”
When he was elected, he thought he might serve two terms, or eight years, which “seemed to be going rate for a sheriff in this area.”
“I had no idea it would last as long as it has,” he said.
Evans said he has always seen his job as a public service.
“It’s a two way street here,” he said. “It’s never been about me. This job and this office have never been about me. It’s been about serving the people. Every morning when I get up, I look forward to coming to work. Every day on my way to work, my goal for that day and for every day is to try and help someone along the way. I’m not talking about breaking laws for them. You have people who have children and grandchildren and brothers and sisters who run afoul of the law. They’re not bad people. They’ve just made mistakes. We all make mistakes. Some people make mistakes that cost them money and other people make mistakes that puts them in crosshairs of the law.”
Evans said he is often approached by people who have served time who offer thanks to him.
“It’s good years later when they come up to you and tell you that when you locked them up that it made a profound difference in their life,” he said. “I’ve had people come up over the years and I cross paths with them long after they come through here (the jail) and they come up and shake my hand. They tell me that I did my job and they can’t complain about the way they were treated. On the way to work every morning, I just think about that I’m coming to work to try and help someone along the way on life’s journey. I base what I do on that and the law enforcement part just works in to it. You try to be as nice to folks as they will let you be.”
Evans recalls some advice he received years ago from a former Banks County sheriff that has helped him over the years.
“When I grew up, Mr. (M.L.) Harrison was the sheriff up in Banks County and he always told me, you may have a jail full of people and everyone of them has a mama or a daddy or a kid or someone who loves them,” he said. “I try to treat everyone with respect. I think that goes a long way. You treat the employees with respect and everyone you deal with with respect. I’ve seen a lot of mamas and daddy’s hearts broken because of what their kid did. They will cry. I always tell them that what their child did was bad but they can make it through this. I’ll tell them, ‘In the morning, you will be able to hug your kid and tell them you love them. A lot of mamas and daddies don’t get that opportunity because it’s too late because their kids are killed in wrecks and altercations.”
Challenging Times
Evans has had many challenges over the years and times when he was afraid, but one incident that he will always remember was when a high school student came to school with a bomb strapped on. Evans talked to the boy and got him to take the bomb off without injuring himself or anyone else.
“That day still rings pretty clear with me,” Evans said. “I think about that little boy a lot. I wonder how he is doing. I think about that day. It’s hard to explain. At first, I didn’t really believe he had a bomb. As I was talking with him, I realized he was a bright kid and he did have a bomb. It was strange though. I never felt anything but calm. I’ve been afraid plenty of times. I’ve been scared plenty of times, but that day, I didn’t feel any fear. I really think the good Lord sent me out there and gave me the words to talk to that young man. It just worked out. I told that little boy that I had a son and that I wanted to go home and see him and it was in his hands — that either I would be going home to see my son or me and him would be going to heaven together… I was sent there not to perform a miracle but maybe to save that little boy’s life.”
Another case he recalls that was very profound and that he will always remember was the case in Nicholson where a man killed his wife and two children and then committed suicide.
“That was an earth-shattering time for this whole department,” Evans said. “He killed his wife and stabbed his two little boys. My son was about the same age as those two little boys. That really shook me up.”
One of his challenges during his term was the effort for a new jail to be constructed.
“I hated to have to build one and really didn’t want to have to build one. I felt like it should be up to the people. It shouldn’t be up to me or the board of commissioners to decide to build one. It should be put to a vote. The people supported it. I think it was wise. The other one was falling down.”
TIME TO RETIRE
Evans said he decided to retire as he got older and his priorities changed.
“A man reaches a point in his life where his priorities change,” he said. “For such a long, long time, this office has been my number one priority. It’s come above most everything. A public servant ought to be dedicated to their job and to the people. As I said, a man’s priority changes over the years…I get more calls at home than at the office. That takes away from your private time and your family time…I hope to spend a lot of time with my parents and my son and my wife. It’s just the right time. The Good Lord told me it was the right time. ”
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1929 – Government in Russia disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1929 – 1953 murdered 20 million Russians.
1935 – Government in China disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1948 – 1952 murdered 20 million Chinese.
1938 – Government in Germany disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1939 – 1945 murdered 16 million Jews, Hungarian Gypsies, Mentally disabled, physically disabled,...
1956 – Government in Cambodia disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1975 – 1977 murdered 1 million Educated people, identified as those wearing glasses.
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1970 – Government in Uganda disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1971 – 1979 and murdered 300,000 Christians.
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