Organization
Organization
Management Profiles
Gwinnett County Sheriff:
Sheriff Keybo Taylor
Keybo.Taylor@GwinnettCounty.com
Sheriff Keybo Taylor was elected on November 3, 2020. A native of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Sheriff Taylor joined the Gwinnett County Police Department in 1983. His 30 years of law enforcement experience included undercover investigations that encompassed the Criminal Investigations Division and the Special Investigations Section. By 1994, Sheriff Taylor was assigned to the FBI Drug Task Force. He continued his career as a supervisor in the Uniform Division and served as a supervisor in Special Operations (COPS Program) and Criminal Investigations (Narcotics Squad).
In 2000, Sheriff Taylor was promoted to Lieutenant and served as Unit Commander leading the Gwinnett County Drug Task Force. By 2007, he received his appointment to Major and managed both the East and South precincts. Sheriff Taylor credits a significant portion of his career advancement to his educational and professional development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Mercer University and a master’s degree in public administration from Columbus State University.
Sheriff Taylor has received the Intermediate, Advanced, Supervision, and Management certifications through the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST). He is also a Certified General Post Instructor, a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College Class X, a graduate of the DEA Drug Unit Command Academy, and a certified Crisis Intervention Trainer.
Sheriff Taylor took office on January 1, 2021. As a former youth football coach, Sheriff Taylor continues to enjoy mentoring the youth about positive decision-making through sports. He also makes it a priority to spend family time with his three children and eight grandchildren.
Department Chief:
Chief Cleophas Atwater
Cleo.Atwater@GwinnettCounty.com
Cleophas Atwater was appointed Chief of the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office on January 1, 2021. He began his law enforcement career in Rockdale County at the City of Conyers Police Department. He is a graduate of the 37th Gwinnett County Police Academy where he served 24 years.
During his tenure with the Gwinnett County Police Department, Chief Atwater was promoted at regular intervals and served in multiple divisions. He served in the uniform, training, and the criminal investigations division. Chief Atwater spent 14 years in the criminal investigations division supervising high profile units such as Narcotics, VICE, Gangs, Robbery, and Homicide. He was awarded the Chief’s Unit Citation for all three units.
As a collateral duty, Chief Atwater served 19 years on the SWAT team. He was appointed by the Chief of Police to serve as the SWAT Team Commander, establishing the first Gwinnett full time SWAT Team. After an appointment to the rank of Major, Chief Atwater served as the Assistant Criminal Investigations Commander. Under his command, he diligently led his team to establish investigative protocols that included a victim centered approach.
Chief Atwater is proud to serve as second in command of the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office. Under the leadership of Sheriff Taylor, Chief Atwater has continued to work with those under his command to protect the citizens of our community. The establishment of the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office Trafficking and Child Exploitation Unit (TRACE) is a testament to these continued efforts. The TRACE Unit is recognized across the country for providing resources to victims of human trafficking and bringing to justice offenders that prey on our most vulnerable populations.
Chief Atwater is a collaborative leader, with a community first approach to law enforcement. He believes that exhibiting integrity and building trust must be at the core of shaping organizational culture. He has earned several certifications from the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (P.O.S.T.), including, General Instructor, Firearms Instructor, and Defensive Tactics Instructor. Chief Atwater has obtained over 4,000 hours of basic and specialized training.
Chief Atwater is a two-time Officer of the Year recipient and a two-time Distinguished Service Medal recipient.
Administrative Bureau Chief:
Deputy Chief Melanie Jones
Melanie.Jones@GwinnettCounty.com
Deputy Chief Melanie Jones is a multi-certified peace officer dedicated to maintaining the Gwinnett standard of excellence. She began her career with the Gwinnett County Police Department in 2004 and joined the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office in 2005. Deputy Chief Jones has dedicated over 19 years to providing outstanding service and achieving customer success by specializing in organizational leadership, fiscal management, forensic polygraphy, recruitment, and retention at the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office. During her career, she has performed critical roles in the Jail Operations Division, Administrative Services Division, Support Operations Division, and Field Operations Division.
Deputy Chief Jones has earned promotions at regular intervals. As a Background Investigations Sergeant, she directed the Administrative Units, including Background Investigations, Internal Affairs, and Recruitment. Promoted to Lieutenant in December 2019, she served as the Commander of the Professional Standards Section and Public Information Officer. In January 2021, she was appointed by Sheriff Keybo Taylor to Assistant Chief Deputy and served as the Commander of the Administrative Services Division. Further evident of her exemplary level of leadership and service, she was promoted to Deputy Chief in December 2021 and currently serves as Director of the Administrative Bureau, overseeing the Jail Operations Division, Support Operations Division and Administrative Services Division. She has more than 2,000 hours of basic and specialized training.
Administrative Services Division Chief:
Assistant Chief Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine.Jackson@GwinnettCounty.com
Assistant Chief Jermaine Jackson began his career with the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office in 2009 following his retirement from the United States Marine Corps, where he served honorably for over 20 years. He has earned promotions at regular intervals and has worked in most areas of the agency, including the Jail Operations Division, Court Operations Division, Support Operations Division, and the Training Section. He was the Commander for the Sheriff's Office Explorer Program for several years and launched their first scholarship program. Appointed to Captain in 2018, he served as the Shift Commander in the Jail Operations Division.
Assistant Chief Jackson has earned several certifications from the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST), including General Instructor and Firearms Instructor certifications, and he has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Management.
Operational Bureau Chief:
Deputy Chief Antonio Webster
Antonio.Webster@GwinnettCounty.com
Deputy Chief Antonio Webster began his career with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office in 1999. Deputy Chief Webster has dedicated over 23 years of outstanding leadership to the citizens of Gwinnett County. He specializes in serving high-risk warrants, hostage rescue, and general tactical operations.
Deputy Chief Webster has earned promotions at regular intervals and has supervised specialized units such as Investigative Services Unit, Fugitive Unit, Uniform Warrants, Sex Offenders Unit, Family Violence Unit, and more. In January 2021, he was appointed to Major, overseeing the Criminal Investigation Section and second in command of the Field Operations Division. In December 2021, he was appointed Assistant Chief of the Field Operations Division. In December 2024, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the Operations Bureau. Additionally, Deputy Chief Webster honorably served eight years in the United States Navy.
Support Operations Division Chief:
Assistant Chief Jeremy Brown
Jeremy.Brown@GwinnettCounty.com
Assistant Chief Jeremy Brown began his career with the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office in 1996. He has earned promotions at regular intervals and worked in several areas of the agency. During his career, he served in the Administrative Services Division, Field Operations Division, Jail Operations Division, and Court Operations Division. After being promoted to Lieutenant in 2010, he supervised the Warrants Unit, Sex Offenders Unit, and Family Violence Unit. In 2012, Assistant Chief Brown joined the Professional Standards Section and supervised the Background Investigations Unit, Internal Affairs Unit, and Recruitment Unit. Assistant Chief Brown has obtained more than 2,800 hours of basic and specialized training. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Auburn University and a master’s degree in police administration from Columbus State University. Assistant Chief Brown is also a Polygraph Examiner.
Jail Operations Division Chief:
Assistant Chief Evette McKenzie
Evette.McKenzie@GwinnettCounty.com
Assistant Chief Evette McKenzie has dedicated 19 years with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office and has over 20 years of law enforcement experience. During her tenure with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, Assistant Chief McKenzie has served in various administrative positions within the Jail Operations Division. She has provided oversight for managers, supervisors, and deputies who are responsible for the daily operations of specialized units within the Sheriff’s Office. Earlier in her career, she served as a detention officer for two years with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant Chief McKenzie holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Brenau University, a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia Southern University and was a member of the Georgia Jail Association’s Executive Board for 10 years.
Field Operations Division Chief:
Assistant Chief Austin Godfrey
Austin.Godfrey@GwinnettCounty.Com
Assistant Chief Austin M. Godfrey began his career in law enforcement in 1998 with the Gwinnett County Police Department. He has served as a Task Force Officer with the FBI’s Crimes Against Children Human Trafficking Task Force, a member of the GBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and a member of the Georgia Gang Investigators Association. Assistant Chief Godfrey has spent most of his career assigned to specialized units. These units have included Special Victims, Narcotics, Crime Suppression, and VICE and Alcohol. Additionally, he was a member of SWAT for over 18 years, where he served as the Sniper Team Leader.
Assistant Chief Godfrey joined the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office in January 2021 and accepted his appointment as Major of the Special Investigations Section. In this role, he helped establish and build the Trafficking and Child Exploitation (TRACE) and Gang Units. Under his leadership, the Special Investigations Section expanded to include the Fugitive, Jail Intelligence, and Crime & Intelligence Analyst Units, along with the Gwinnett Metro Task Force.
Over the course of his career, Assistant Chief Godfrey has received over 6,000 hours of basic and specialized training from the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (POST). His certifications include Management, Supervision, Advanced, Intermediate, General Instructor, Firearms Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Sniper Instructor, Field Training Officer, and SWAT Command. Assistant Chief Godfrey is a native of Gwinnett County and graduated from South Gwinnett High School. He is also a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
Court Operations Division Chief:
Assistant Chief James Casey
James.Casey@GwinnettCounty.com
Assistant Chief James Casey began his career with the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office in 1998. He began his law enforcement career with the Athens-Clarke County Sheriff's Office. began his law enforcement career in Athens with the Athens-Clarke County Sheriff's Office. He has earned promotions at regular intervals and worked in several areas of the agency.
During his career, he served in the Field Operations Division, Court Operations Division, Jail Operations Division, and Administrative Services Division. He has supervised in the Detention Center, Professional Standards Section, Civil Processing Unit, and Court Services. Assistant Chief Casey has over 3,300 hours of basic and specialized training to include being a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Session #262, as well as a Polygraph Examiner. Assistant Chief Casey holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in police administration from Columbus State University.
