Sheriff Ezell Brown, a native of Blakely, Georgia, was elected as the first African American Sheriff of Newton County, Georgia, on Nov. 4, 2008. He worked in law enforcement in Newton County for more than 35 years before being elected Sheriff. Currently, he has more than 45 years of law enforcement experience and oversees a full-service department with approximately 315 employees and more than 500 inmates.

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Sheriff Brown began his law enforcement career in 1973 as a patrolman with the Covington Police Department. In 1977, he joined the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, where he served in every capacity of law enforcement, demonstrating leadership through progressive supervisory roles.

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He is currently the Active Past President of the Georgia Sheriffs' Association, representing all sheriffs in the State of Georgia. He has previously served on the Georgia Probation Subcommittee for the Council of Criminal Justice Reform. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors for the Newton County Salvation Army, serves as an Executive Board Member for Georgia Piedmont Technical College, and is the Treasurer of the Georgia Military College Georgia Public Safety Leadership Institute (GPSLI) Advisory Council. In 2019, Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Sheriff Brown to the Sexual Offender Risk Review Board.

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Throughout his tenure in law enforcement, Sheriff Brown has received numerous achievement awards, accolades, and distinctions in recognition of his service and community involvement, including the Congressional Award presented by Fourth District Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia. His law enforcement legacy, spanning more than 50 years, was honored with a commendation signed by Gov. Brian Kemp during the 12th Annual Newton County Sheriff's Office Awards Ceremony at the Newton College and Career Academy on April 12, 2024.

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Over the past 12 years, he has led significant advancements for the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, including the creation of an Office of Professional Standards (OPS) and an Internal Affairs (IA) Division. Under his leadership, the Newton County Detention Center has achieved both state and national accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) and the American Correctional Association (ACA). The agency also received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and has been reaccredited.

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Under Sheriff Brown’s leadership, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office achieved the elite status of becoming a Triple Crown Agency. There are 159 sheriff’s offices in Georgia and more than 3,000 in the United States. Newton County was one of the first four in Georgia, and one of only 44 in the United States, to acquire this esteemed level of certification.

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He is married to Janice Brown, and they are the proud parents of five children and grandparents of seven.