Former Blount County Deputy Jerry Burns to enter 2026 sheriff's race

15-year law enforcement veteran pledges to build a stronger, safer community

MARYVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Blount County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Burns has announced his intent to run in the 2026 race for Blount County Sheriff.
"I'm joining this race because I love Blount County and want to make a difference here," said Burns. "My heart is in this community. It's a fantastic place to live and raise a family, and that's something worth protecting."

"By strengthening community relationships and ensuring our deputies have the resources they need to protect the community, I will implement strategies to prioritize keeping this great community safe."

With over 15 years of experience in law enforcement, Burns served with the Blount County Sheriff's Office from 2016 to 2023. In addition to his time in Blount County, he worked for the Gatlinburg Police Department from 2015 to 2016 and the Perry County Sheriff's Office in Hazard, Kentucky from 2011 to 2015.

Burns is also the owner of Foothills Martial Arts Academy, where he provides defensive tactics training to law enforcement officers and teaches anti-bullying techniques to children of all ages. In addition, he provides self-defense classes for women. He founded the school in 2020 under the name Gracie Jiu Jitsu Foothills.

Burns's campaign focuses on three major priorities for Blount County:

• Public safety and crime prevention: Implementing proactive policing strategies.
• Strengthening deputy training, recruitment and retention: Implementing modern training programs, emphasizing recruitment efforts and reviewing policies that can impact retention to keep the best officers serving Blount County.
• Addressing the drug and mental health crisis: Work with community partners to provide a balanced approach to the crisis that focuses on treatment, prevention and enforcement.

"This campaign is about all of us coming together to build and maintain a safe community," Burns said. "Real change comes from the support of the entire community. Together, I know that we can create a stronger and safer Blount County."

To learn more about candidate Burns, please visit Burns4sheriff.com.

About Jerry Burns

Jerry Burns is a candidate for the 2026 Blount County Sheriff's election. Burns has over 15 years of law enforcement experience including time with the Blount County Sheriff's Office, the Gatlinburg Police Department and the Perry County Sheriff's Office in Hazard, Kentucky. As a member of the Blount County Sheriff's Office, he was a field training officer, K9 deputy and a defensive tactics instructor for Blount County. To learn more about candidate Burns, please visit Burns4sheriff.com.

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SOURCE Jerry Burns