Sheriff James A. Hale Jr. is a lifelong resident of Oconee County. He is a graduate of Oconee County High School and a veteran of the US Army. He has been a deputy sheriff since 1999 and a volunteer firefighter/ EMT with the Oconee County Fire/Rescue since 1996. For the past 20 years he has served as a deputy sheriff for the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office. While employed here he worked as a jailer, patrol deputy, patrol shift supervisor, investigator, Patrol Division Commander and now as the Sheriff.
Sheriff Hale has taken many additional training courses, including attending and graduating from the FBI National Academy, in order to educate himself on the many aspects of law enforcement. This further schooling has enabled him to return and educate others on what he has learned. This includes training on active shooter events and school safety. He was instrumental in the organization of all Rescue Task Force training that combined the Oconee Sheriff’s Office, Oconee Fire/Rescue and the Oconee School System.