CAIRO- There’s a new sheriff in town.

After serving two decades as Sheriff, Harry Young retired on December 31, 2024, when Martin “Earl” Prince was sworn in, to take over at the helm of the operation.

A retired Georgia State Patrol trooper, Prince swore to protect the people of Grady County and take a firm stance on drugs plaguing the community. However, Prince knew he couldn’t arrest his way out of a drug problem, and has taken it upon himself to offer help and connect with community organizations to rehabilitate those suffering from the grips of addiction.

Deputy Kent Harvey spoke on these efforts that he and Prince have worked diligently to implement within the first 90 days in office.

“Both Sheriff Prince and I agreed you’re not going to fix addiction by arresting people or putting them in jail,” he said. “The answer is getting them help and education.”

Harvey isn’t concerned with how many people they help; he believes even if one person can overcome addiction, their work has been a success.

“It’s a win for the community and it’s a win for the individual and the individual’s family,” he said.

Harvey shared that he and Prince have encountered people who are nervous to take that first step, which is why he, Prince, or other deputies are more than happy to walk into rehabilitation facilities with the individual. But the individual has to want the help. They cannot force it.

“It sometimes takes somebody getting arrested or a family member stepping in, for them to realize they need help, but since January 1, 2025, Sheriff Prince has personally taken people to the appropriate places to get help with the addiction they have,” Harvey said.

Harvey explained the first days of recovery can be like jumping into a pool for the first time.

“We are there to hold their hand, and pick them up if they fall, and just help them through that if we need to,” he said.

Prince has received great feedback and support for his new approach to addiction and the stigma surrounding it.

“We’ve had a lot of people call and want to support the cause,” Harvey said. “We have people volunteering, or looking to support financially. Cairo is a tight-knit community, and we’ve been really pleased with the response, and are going to continue helping people.”

Former addicts, who now are sober and thriving in the community have even offered their time to come to the jail and speak with individuals or take them to a program, following their release.

Prince’s efforts have also been praised for their transparency.

Harvey emphasized that since Prince has taken office the unit has and will continue to be a transparent department.

“You will hear the good, and you will hear the bad,” he said. “When you hear the bad, we are going to tell you what happened, and how we intend to fix it.”

This goes hand-in-hand with what Prince has already done, noting that drugs can never be completely eradicated in a community, but through education and rehabilitation; things can be fixed.

While Prince has a huge heart and is willing to help anyone who asks, that does not mean he is soft on crime.

Since taking over, Prince has become well-known on social media for his “Wanted Wednesday” segments, where he is videotaped live holding various mugshots and asking for wanted individuals to turn themselves in.

“Any Sheriff’s Department is going to get backlogged on warrants,” Harvey said. “So, this gives people a chance to see something and say something.”

The “Wanted Wednesday” has been a huge success, with individuals turning themselves in weekly, following the viral post.

“By doing that, they’re able to get in and get bailed out,” Harvey said. “That’s what we want is to get them in and get them out, and let them have their time in court, so the process can take place.”

Prince does not only partner with social media to get the word out and help cut down on crime and accidents, Harvey said he has big plans to work with the local Grady County School System next year.

“We will be rolling out a new agenda shortly,” Harvey said. “When most people think of law enforcement, they think of things inside the box, but Sheriff Prince and I are operating out of the box. We believe in running this like a business.”

Like most businesses, Harvey and Prince believe in good customer service. Customer service doesn’t always look the same in something like the Sheriff’s Office, but to Harvey, it means not always putting somebody in jail, it means helping someone and the community out.

Residents of Grady County have rallied behind these new ideals, with vendors creating t-shirts of the jail, naming it “Big Earls B&B” and depicting a cellblock on the back.

Harvey assured the GCSO did not create the shirt, but was approached multiple times with individuals asking for their permission to craft something. On the first day of sales, the vendor sold 300 shirts.

“Some people were happy and some people weren’t, but that’s the First Amendment right,” he said.

The depicted cellblock is on Prince’s ultimate to-do list, as he does plan to update the jail.

“We are planning updates, but we are operating off the old Sheriff’s budget, so next month, we will start preparing for next year,” Harvey said.

Prince has been regularly meeting with Thomas County Sheriff Tim Watkins to bounce ideas off of, as they both are working to upgrade facilities and offer new programs and incentives to inmates.

Under Prince’s direction, inmates have resumed work detail, picking up litter, painting buildings and completing yard work, allowing them to gain a skillset.

“I think it’s a good program,” Harvey said. “They can work their time down, and usually go straight into construction after they get out of here.”

Wanting individuals who have served their time to have a skillset and a place to utilize it afterward shows Prince’s compassion.

“Accountability for him is non-negotiable, but with that being said, he would give you the shirt off his back,” Harvey said. “He helps people in need way past 5:30 p.m.

As Prince moves forward, he continues to look forward to helping everyone he can, asking that individuals remain transparent with him about their needs in the community, so he can work toward those.

“If you need help, we are here for you,” Harvey concluded.