Austin Garrett
Austin Garrett announced on Thursday his intentions to seek the office of Hamilton County Sheriff as a candidate in the Republican Primary taking place in May, 2022.
Mr. Garrett said, “I have been humbled by the support and encouragement from an overwhelming number of community leaders and citizens as Pam and I have explored seeking this position. With 28 years of service to this community as a law enforcement officer, I am proud to announce I will be seeking your support as a candidate in the Republican Primary for the office of Sheriff. I’ve been honored to serve these last few years with the men and women of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Together we will focus on the safety of this county through innovation and the commitment of providing the highest level of law enforcement services to our community.”
Born and raised in Bryant, Ala., Mr. Garrett became a resident of Hamilton County in 1993. He is married to Pam McAllister-Garrett, and has two daughters, Haley and Madalyn. Together with his wife, he is an active member of Shelter Church on East Brainerd Road.
In February, 2019, he was appointed to serve the community as the Sheriff Office’s Chief Deputy by Sheriff Jim Hammond. He is directly responsible for the administration of all Sheriff’s Office operations.
Prior to this leadership appointment, he served 25 years with the Chattanooga Police Department, retiring as a lieutenant where he was responsible for command of the Tactical and Traffic Operations Division.
Over the course of Mr. Garrett's career, he has served as a patrol officer, auto theft investigator, FBI Task Force Investigator, and special events supervisor. He has extensive experience in public safety partnerships along with large-scale event planning and management.
During his last nine years with the CPD, Mr. Garrett was directly responsible for the multi-agency planning, managing, security, and safety at all major events held in the city of Chattanooga. These events included the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, the U.S.A. Pro-Cycling Championships, and the annual Riverbend Music Festival.
Mr. Garrett is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 273, graduate of the Southeastern Command and Leadership Academy, and holds a degree in criminal justice from Bethel University.
Within the community, Mr. Garrett serves as a board member for the Forgotten Child Fund. A volunteer organization who provides gifts to over 10,000 local children every Christmas. He also serves as a board member for YCAP. YCAP is a volunteer arm of the YMCA which focuses on early intervention and prevention programs from youth ages 10-15.