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Jimmy Abbett
Published 5:56pm Friday, April 1, 2011The sheriff of Tallapoosa County, a former captain in the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, has been elected to five consecutive terms
For Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett, working in law enforcement is somewhat of a family tradition.
“My father was a police officer for years with the city of Dadeville,” Abbett said. “I kind of grew up in law enforcement and to me it’s a service – something that I grew up in and had an ambition to continue the legacy.”
Abbett has continued that legacy for the past 16 years at the sheriff’s department by working tirelessly to make Tallapoosa County a safe place to live, work, play and visit. The Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department, which is based in Dadeville, is a full service department serving the citizens of Tallapoosa County and is responsible for answering emergency calls, conducting criminal investigations, civil process service, courtroom security, prisoner transports, patrol and other designated duties.
The department is comprised of 67 employees, with 23 total law enforcement officers including four investigators who work criminal investigations, two investigators assigned to the Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force and 13 patrol deputies. In addition, the department has eight dispatchers, three secretaries and 23 total personnel that work in the jail.
The citizens of Tallapoosa County have elected Abbett to the office of sheriff for the past five consecutive elections – first in 1995 and most recently in 2010— but his career in law enforcement actually began over 40 years ago.
Abbett began his career in law enforcement as a state trooper cadet back in 1968. Two years later, he was promoted to the rank of Trooper assigned to the Highway Patrol Division and stationed in Alexander City.
In 1973, he was assigned to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, a division of the Alabama Department of Public Safety. He remained in the ABI division as a field agent where he was promoted to the rank of Corporal and Sergeant. In 1989, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, serving as the Operational Officer for the Alabama Bureau Investigation. In 1991, he was promoted to the rank of Captain assigned to the Service Division with the Alabama Department of Public Safety as the Commander of the Alabama Criminal Justice Training Center.
In 1992, he was reassigned to the Administrative Division while serving as Commander of the Criminal Intelligence Center for the Alabama Department of Public Safety. Abbett was appointed by the governor to serve as the Assistant Director for the Alabama Department of Public Safety in 1993 and retired the following year.
Abbett said he is humbled and honored to provide service to the citizens of Tallapoosa County.
“I thoroughly enjoy what I’m doing each day,” he said. “It’s always a challenge, but we’re always striving to make our county a safer place for people to work here and also to visit … I think it’s your duty if you’re holding this office to be able to provide the best service that you can to the people that elect you and to the citizens of this county.”
