JONESBORO — Clayton County Board of Commissioners Chair Jeff Turner announced his candidacy for sheriff Friday via his official Facebook page.
“As a product and long-time resident of this community, I have seen firsthand the importance of having a strong and dedicated law enforcement team,” he said on the https://www.facebook.com/officialjeffturner page.
Turner has more than 23 years of law enforcement — including serving as Clayton County Police chief.
In March of 2007, Turner was named the first Black police chief in Clayton County.
He has served as commission chair since Jan. 1, 2013.
“I am confident that I am the right person for the job,” he said.
He said his top priorities as sheriff will be to ensure the safety and security of residents and pre-trial detainees, to build strong relationships between law enforcement and the community, and to work to reduce crime in neighborhoods while working alongside county and city police agencies.
“I believe that communication, transparency, and accountability are the keys to achieving these goals, and I am committed to upholding these values as your sheriff,” he said.
Turner has lived in Clayton County for most of his life and graduated from Morrow High School.
Current Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen was appointed as interim sheriff in December of 2022, replacing former sheriff Victor Hill. Allen then was elected in April of 2023.
Hill was found guilty in October of 2022 and was sentenced in March of 2023 to 18 months on six counts of deprivation of rights of detainees at the Clayton County Jail.
In April of 2023, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff launched an investigation into inmate deaths and federal funding of the Clayton County Jail and in September of 2023, he called for for a civil rights investigation into alleged mistreatment and abuse of inmates in the jail.
In July of 2023,…
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