Elbert County Sheriff's Office

09/01/2026

Hartwell, Hart County, GA (September 1, 2026) - The GBI has arrested and charged five people in connection with a shooting that occurred at Jack’s Bar and Grill in Hartwell, GA, on September 5, 2022, that resulted in the deaths of Roberius Thornton, age 39, of Hartwell, GA, and Joseph Johnson, age...

08/20/2026

Emergency personnel responded to Elbert County High School this morning after receiving an alert indicating a potentially serious threat. Upon arrival, it was determined that the incident involved a fight and there is no active threat to the school, students, or staff.

The serious threat alert was unintentionally activated after the CENTEGIX alert system was pressed multiple times during the incident.

We sincerely appreciate the quick response of all emergency personnel, as well as the assistance and response from our neighboring agencies. The safety of our students, staff, and schools remains a top priority.

08/05/2026

08/04/2026

07/31/2026

Please join us in lifting this family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, as well as the first responders who responded to this incident.

07/30/2026

Updated temporary traffic patterns for the 1st day of school:
Please be aware that several of our roadways near the schools will have different traffic patterns tomorrow for the 1st day of school. The main change will be on the Athens Highway near Athens Tech Road.
If you are travelling out of town on Athens Highway, the lanes will be divided by cones as you approach Athens Tech Road. All traffic not going to the school, and continuing toward Athens will need to be in the outside (far right) lane. Traffic going to the school will move to the turning lane at the beginning of the cones.
Traffic leaving the school back to the Athens Highway will all turn right toward Elberton. No one will be allowed to turn left onto the Athens Highway toward Athens.
Traffic travelling into town on the Athens Highway will need to move to the inside lane (left lane) at the cones, while vehicles turning onto the Athens Tech Road will use the right-hand turning lane.
Roadways will be very congested tomorrow morning near all of our schools. Please be patient with each other and with Public Safety Professionals who will be directing traffic. If you can avoid these areas during these times, please do so. Law enforcement officers will be conducting speed enforcement on roadways near our schools so please be aware of your speed. Thank you for your understanding and partnership in helping our first day of school be a safe and great first day.
Sheriff Jamie Callaway

07/30/2026

Between July 20th and July 23rd, 2026, children from across the community participated in the Elbert County Sheriff's Office Junior Deputy Program.
Throughout the week, participants had the opportunity to learn about the many roles and responsibilities within law enforcement. They also met with representatives from several agencies that work alongside the Elbert County Sheriff's Office, including the Elbert County Detention Center, Elberton Police Department, Elbert County Emergency Services, Elbert County Fire, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, City of Elberton Fire Department, and other community partners.
The program provided hands-on learning experiences in firearm safety, crime scene investigation, and DUl enforcement, giving participants a better understanding of the work performed by law enforcement officers and first responders.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who helped make this program possible. Your time, dedication, and support made a lasting impact on these young participants.
We look forward to watching the Junior Deputy Program continue to grow and to strengthening our connection with the members of our community.

07/29/2026

I would like to thank the entire Elbert County School District, and especially the faculty and staff of the Elberton Elementary School for a very successful Emergency Response Drill yesterday. Everyone who participated was totally amazing and we are very grateful for you and your dedication to the safety of our schools. I would also like to recognize and thank all of our public safety agencies and professionals who responded. Each agency in our city and county participated and fulfilled their role in the mock emergency. We held a debriefing after the event to discuss the response, and will hold another discussion in the next week. Our goal in these events is not necessarily to focus on what was done right, but to realize areas that need improvement and make the changes necessary. School safety requires a collaborative effort from parents, students, faculty and staff, and each and every public safety agency, and we are thankful for that effort and partnership in our community.
Sheriff Jamie Callaway

07/28/2026

REMINDER

07/27/2026

🚨 PUBLIC NOTICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE DRILL 🚨

The Elbert County Sheriff’s Office would like to notify the public that an emergency response training exercise will take place tomorrow afternoon, beginning at approximately 1:30 p.m., at Elbert County Elementary School.

Residents may notice a large presence of law enforcement, fire, EMS, and other emergency personnel responding to the area. This will be a controlled response as is a planned drill. There is no emergency.

During the exercise, the roads surrounding the school will be closed. Please plan accordingly and avoid the area if possible.

The safety of our students, faculty, and staff remains one of our highest priorities. Training exercises like this help ensure our first responders are prepared to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a real emergency.

Thank you for your patience and support as our first responders train to keep our community safe.