OGLETHORPE — Charles “Charley” M. Cannon Jr., son of Macon County Sheriff Charles M. Cannon, Sr. and Joan Cannon, has announced his candidacy for the office of Sheriff of Macon County.
He issued the following statement.
“Charley Cannon has served as a law enforcement officer for 29 years. He is a 1987 graduate of Macon County High School in Montezuma. He graduated from the Macon Regional Police Academy in 1988. He worked for the Montezuma Police Department from 1987 to 1989. He worked for the Fort Valley Police Department from 1989 to 1990.  He worked with the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, assigned to the Middle Georgia Narcotics Task Force from 1990 to 1996, serving Peach, Crawford, Jones, Bibb and Twiggs counties.
“In 1996, he came back home, to work for the Montezuma Police Department as an investigator. During this time, he was a member of the Montezuma Police Drug/Gang Task Force and became a sergeant/supervisor. In 2003, he was promoted to the rank of captain of Criminal Investigations and assistant chief of the Montezuma Police Department.
“Along with the annual training requirements for peace officers, he  obtained certification as a General (Police Academy level) Training Instructor, Advanced Training Instructor and Firearms’ Training Instructor. In 2007, he received POST Management Certification and completed POST Executive Development training. He is a member of the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and the Montezuma Police Department Certification/Accreditation Team. He was instrumental in helping the Montezuma Police Department become State Certified/Accredited, in 2005. When elected sheriff of Macon County, he will bring his vast knowledge and experience to the Macon County Sheriff’s Office to facilitate the sheriff’s office in becoming a state certified/accredited agency, as well.
“Since 2005, Cannon has been the only Firearms’ Instructor in Macon County. He has re-certified over 40 officers annually, since that time. He is the only candidate for the office of sheriff who has prosecuted numerous Federal drug cases. These drug cases have consisted of possession or conspiring to possess over approximately 20 kilograms (1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds) of cocaine. All of these drug cases have been made while he has been working for the City of Montezuma, in Macon County. He stated, ‘I promise to defend all Constitutional Rights of all citizens, while enforcing all laws, whether it is local, state or federal; a common sense approach needs to be utilized. This is done by making sure the successful prosecution of all cases is done in a professional manner, while ensuring all citizens’ rights are protected. My guide is to treat everyone, as I would desire to be treated, following the Biblical teaching of Luke 6:31 (NLT), “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.’””