Barnes graduated from Florida State University in 1973, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology.  Also a graduate of the Broward County Police Academy, Barnes served as a Police Officer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from 1973 to 1976, before taking a position as a Special Agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) in Mobile, Alabama, where he was assigned from 1976 to 1980.  In 1980, Barnes transferred to the DEA and has served as a Special Agent in Mobile, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Barnes spent 10 years of his DEA career overseas, serving as a Special Agent in at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, and most recently as the DEA Country Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, before transferring to Tallahassee in 2002.     

During his thirty-year law enforcement career, Barnes has served in an extensive variety of specialized assignments, and is a seasoned criminal investigator, administrator, and instructor. He has worked with several multi-agency drug task forces, including the Broward County Sheriff’s Office Domestic Interdiction Task Force, and served as the key advisor to the U.S. Ambassador on U.S. drug policy in India.

Barnes is also a Vietnam veteran, and served with the U.S. Army’s 19th Engineer Battalion from January 1966 to December 1967. He is an active member of American Legion Post 82, (Lanark Village, Florida). 

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Barnes grew up on the Gulf Coast near St. Petersburg, Florida and has been a property owner in Franklin County since 1991.  He and his wife, Sabra, have been married for 20 years and have two daughters, Brittany and Courtney.

Few law enforcement professionals can offer their community the benefits of thirty years of specialized criminal justice training and experience, a first-hand understanding of how best to coordinate and work cooperatively with local, state and federal law enforcement and service agencies and an extensive background in drug law enforcement. Barnes has the ability to focus on important local issues without losing sight of the big picture and how Franklin County may be impacted by outside forces.

Keeping our citizens and visitors to Franklin County safe is paramount. As our Sheriff, Barnes' diverse criminal justice background would help to ensure the security and integrity of our community. Barnes' sound philosophies and management principles have earned him the endorcements of the Florida Police Benevolent Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.