The Gordon County Sheriff’s Office has started a new domestic violence program, Sheriff Mitch Ralston said.

Ralston said the domestic violence program will be administered by Detective Stefani Sanford, who was recently specifically for this purpose.

Detective Sanford, a native of Gordon County and a 1999 graduate of Gordon Central High School, was recruited away from the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office where she had been employed for the past five years as a uniformed supervisor.



She holds a master’s degree in management and leadership, advanced certifications in several areas including police instruction, and is fluent is the Spanish language.

Detective Sanford will investigate domestic violence incidents as well as coordinating all domestic violence activities on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office.

“This is the first time that a detective has been dedicated solely to domestic violence investigations,” Ralston said in a release.

The Sheriff’s Office has applied for federal grant funding to pay for additional personnel, Ralston said.

Ralston said the domestic violence program is one part of the rebuilding process he started in the Sheriff’s Office’s Detective Division since he took office in January.

He said his goal is to project a professional image, be community oriented, repair relationships with other local, state, and federal agencies, and solve crimes while interacting with the local judicial system.

“Domestic violence is an issue which concerns many people. Domestic violence crimes are committed in all social, economic, ethnic, and other kinds of groups,” Ralston said. “These crimes often go unreported, and are often difficult to prosecute, but the addition of Detective Sanford should have a significant impact on our local efforts to combat family violence.”