About this office
The Shelby County Sheriff is the chief law-enforcement officer of the county, with duties set out in Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 8-8-201 and 8-8-213. The Sheriff's Office serves court process, operates the county jail, responds to calls for service, investigates crimes, and patrols unincorporated areas of the county. The Sheriff supervises deputies and corrections officers. Under T.C.A. § 8-24-102, the Sheriff's salary must be at least 10% higher than the salaries of other county constitutional officers. Shelby County is the largest sheriff's jurisdiction in Tennessee.
Term length: 4 years.
As Chief Deputy of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, he serves as second-in-command for an agency employing roughly 1,500 staff and housing up to 3,000 inmates. This role provides direct oversight of jail operations and personnel management. His twenty-five-year tenure includes leadership positions in patrol, training, and internal affairs, alongside specialized assignments in narcotics and fugitive apprehension. He holds a Master’s in Criminal Justice and graduated from the FBI National Academy, offering academic grounding in law enforcement standards. A Democratic primary candidate, he leads fundraising efforts while emphasizing transparency and community relations.
Pollard leads the Fugitive Division within a 1,500-person agency and serves as a SWAT K9 handler for over a dozen years. He proposes hiring trained corrections officers and partnering with mental health facilities to manage inmate care and jail operations. His platform targets repeat violent offenders and illegal firearms while advocating for department-wide de-escalation policies and mandatory deputy training. Pollard aims to ensure fiscal accountability by reducing lawsuit exposure through improved supervision and documentation, while pursuing state and federal funding for jail modernization.
The candidate’s biography lacks documented law-enforcement experience, prior public safety roles, or relevant education. It does not indicate organizational leadership of a large agency, oversight of jail operations, knowledge of Tennessee criminal law, budget management skills, or specific community-relations capacity across diverse populations. The record only notes her status as a Democratic primary candidate and an endorsement from ChangeTN in 2022. Her campaign website outlines a mission to build trust through real-time action and networking with non-profits, but provides no evidence of the professional background required for the office.
Pope served as Chief of Police in West Memphis and currently works as a Criminal Investigator for the District Attorney’s Office. He holds a Master’s in Criminal Justice from Bethel University and is a graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety. His prior roles include Commander for Civil and Criminal Court Operations and Field Commander for Domestic Violence and Special Victims Unit, indicating experience with court processes and specialized law enforcement units.
Retiring Assistant Chief of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department after 36 years, Hubbard provides extensive organizational leadership for a large agency and deep oversight of the jail complex, having spent his career primarily in that division. His Master of Science in criminal justice and Bachelor of Business Administration support statutory training and budget management capabilities. Campaign priorities emphasize transparency and improving community relations across Shelby County’s diverse populations, addressing public-facing capacity needs.
Twenty-eight years with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, including command of the Uniform Patrol Division, demonstrate substantial organizational leadership and a documented law-enforcement background. A decade as a Special Agent with the Coast Guard Investigative Service adds federal investigative experience. The candidate’s platform emphasizes operations leadership and community trust, addressing public-relations capacity. However, the biography lacks specific details on managing a 2,500-plus inmate complex, overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets, or providing evidence of working knowledge regarding Tennessee criminal law and constitutional search-and-seizure standards.
A 28-year law enforcement veteran, he currently serves as a Shelby County Sheriff’s deputy and formerly worked for the Memphis Police Department. His background includes roles in narcotics, gang investigation, and active shooter training, alongside membership in the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. He holds a Top Secret Security Clearance and led international extraditions. As MPD’s first Latino Liaison Officer, he engaged diverse communities. However, the bio does not indicate experience overseeing a 1,500-person agency, managing jail health services, handling multimillion-dollar budgets, or specific knowledge of Tennessee criminal law and constitutional search-and-seizure standards.