Mark Lajoye is a member of the St. Anne Pacelli Church and is associated with the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization. 

Mark Lajoye served in the US Army, National Guard, and as an FBI liaison. He also worked as a deputy with the Russell County Sheriff's Department and as the Director of Training and Operations at the Legion OTG in Blakey, Georgia. Additionally, Mark has taught advanced situation awareness, specializing in intelligence and kinesics training. 

Mark Lajoye's campaign for County Sheriff in Muscogee County is his first entry into politics.

Candidate website

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Believes Columbus citizens mistakenly expect the Police Chief to lead crime prevention, a role actually designated to the sheriff as per city charter, not including such duties under the Chief's responsibilities of reporting, personnel management, and fiscal oversight.

Believes Columbus citizens are "misinformed as to who is responsible for crime prevention in our county place...[and] added unnecessary expectations and pressure" to the Chief of the Columbus Police Department by mentioning  "Section 17-14 outlines the duties of the Police Chief...is responsible for reporting to the mayor, for personnel hired, fired, trained, etc., and for fiscal management...There is no current terminology in the city charter that puts crime prevention on the Police Chief."

Said, "We must treat violence much like we with an infectious disease by promoting prevention methods to control it."

Plans a 5-step crime strategy involving community intelligence, clergy partnership, Columbus Police collaboration, repeat offender accountability, and hotspot policing, detailed at his campaign website.

Plans to implement a 5-step crime strategy involving community intelligence, clergy partnership, Columbus Police collaboration, repeat offender accountability, and hotspot policing. 

Opposes spending a decade and $7 million on ineffective safety programs like St. Louis's Cure Violence; asserts crime is worsening indiscriminately and demands immediate crime prevention measures.

Opposes allocating significant funds towards the St. Louis's Cure Violence, calling it "ineffective". 

Supports educating the Columbus community on crime prevention, empowering residents with knowledge to reduce victimization and crime in the Valley, as advocated by Mark LaJoye.

Supports educating the Columbus community on crime prevention and empowering residents with knowledge to reduce victimization and crime in the Valley.

Wants to use information received from intelligence reports to target high crime areas.

Plans to organize a county task force deputized to have multi-jurisdictional authority.

Opposes gang activity and believes it contributes to illegal drug trade and human trafficking.

- Believes Columbus citizens are "misinformed as to who is responsible for crime prevention in our county place...[and] added unnecessary expectations and pressure" to the Chief of the Columbus Police Department by mentioning  "Section 17-14 outlines the duties of the Police Chief...is responsible for reporting to the mayor, for personnel hired, fired, trained, etc., and for fiscal management...There is no current terminology in the city charter that puts crime prevention on the Police Chief."
- Said, "We must treat violence much like we with an infectious disease by promoting prevention methods to control it."
- Plans to implement a 5-step crime strategy involving community intelligence, clergy partnership, Columbus Police collaboration, repeat offender accountability, and hotspot policing. 
- Opposes allocating significant funds towards the St. Louis's Cure Violence, calling it "ineffective". 
- Supports educating the Columbus community on crime prevention and empowering residents with knowledge to reduce victimization and crime in the Valley.
- Wants to use information received from intelligence reports to target high crime areas.
- Plans to organize a county task force deputized to have multi-jurisdictional authority.
- Opposes gun control.
- Opposes gang activity and believes it contributes to illegal drug trade and human trafficking.

Public Safety

Said, "Dealing with crime isn't just about putting people in jail... There has to be a plan in place that will not only punish criminal activity but attack the crime at its source in order to prevent it."

- Said, "Dealing with crime isn't just about putting people in jail... There has to be a plan in place that will not only punish criminal activity but attack the crime at its source in order to prevent it."

Jail Management

The candidate's website says, "Tougher sentencing laws would need to be established through legislation and the courts to deter repeat offenders."

Supports establishing harsher sentencing laws through legislation and the courts to deter repeat offenders.

Believes Columbus has a "gang problem" and supports targeting drug trade, as he believes that be the cause of gang violence rather than increasing gang arrests. 

Said "It is our duty as Americans to safeguard the constitutional rights, civil liberties, and privacy of all citizens and to ensure that the Sheriff is accountable to the people he serves."

- Supports establishing harsher sentencing laws through legislation and the courts to deter repeat offenders.
- Believes Columbus has a "gang problem" and supports targeting drug trade, as he believes that be the cause of gang violence rather than increasing gang arrests. 
- Said "It is our duty as Americans to safeguard the constitutional rights, civil liberties, and privacy of all citizens and to ensure that the Sheriff is accountable to the people he serves."

Criminal Justice

Mark Lajoye

The County Sheriff is an elected official who acts as the chief law enforcement officer in their county. They are tasked with operating the county jails, keeping courtrooms secure during trials, and keeping the public safe through proper law enforcement. Each Sheriff's Office in Georgia may look a little different in how they hire and run their teams, but all County Sheriffs have the same duties. These duties include the following:

- Operating the county jail
- Providing court security
- Serving civil papers
- Executing arrest warrants
- Providing primary law enforcement within unincorporated areas of the county
- Working with city law enforcement officers to keep municipalities safe

The County Sheriff and their office are unique to other law enforcement agencies in that it has to answer to the people it serves. Historically, a turnover in the Sheriff’s office will likely result in noticeable change within the office, so voting for this office is a very effective way to vote approval or disapproval for how county law enforcement is conducted.

The chief law enforcement officer in the county