James A. Powell, Sr.

Term of Office, 1981 - 1985

James A. Powell, Sr. was born August 2, 1937 in Thomasville, Georgia. Powell served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force from 1955-1959.  He attended Pensacola Junior College and Nova University, married his high school sweetheart, Kay Phillips, and had three children. He spent 27 years as a Florida state trooper.

In 1981, Powell became sheriff of Santa Rosa County. He was the first sheriff to really get involved in drug apprehension and the destruction of marijuana fields. For three consecutive years, more marijuana was cut and destroyed, in Santa Rosa County, than in any other county in the State of Florida. Sheriff’s deputies often went in by horseback in search of marijuana fields. Powell was the first sheriff to have a drug sniffing canine, to require photo identification to enter the sheriff’s office and jail area, to implement fingerprinting of small children, to create a S.W.A.T. Team, and to offer seminars and firearms training to other police agencies.

During his time of service, Powell had only 38 deputies on patrol and an operating budget of only $5 million, but brought the crime rate down every year. He served over 31 years in the field of law enforcement, retiring in 1995. Powell currently resides in Santa Rosa County.