Clayton County appoints Victor Hill pick as interim sheriff

The news comes two days after the Clayton Commission pulled a proposal by the county’s legal department that would automatically promote a chief deputy of a department to the office’s top job temporarily if it becomes vacant.

Commissioners pushed back on the effort, asking who came up with the proposal. They complained that the plan led to an avalanche of angry phone calls and emails from constituents, who accused them of trying to change the rules during the holidays when fewer residents are paying attention.

Allen and five other people have declared their intention to run for sheriff in the March special election. The other candidates are Clarence Cox, Terry Evans, Dwayne Renwick Fabian, T. Chris Storey and Charlene Renee Watson-Fraser.

Fabian said Thursday that being the interim sheriff potentially gives Allen an advantage among voters, but that the office’s new leader can’t match his experience. Fabian, 60, has been in law enforcement for 31 years, including stints as an officer with the Savannah Police Department and most recently as a Georgia State Patrol trooper.

He retired in 2016 as an assistant post commander for the GSP’s Forest Park post.

“I want to help the citizens of Clayton County to fight crime, to be transparent, have integrity and be a good stewards of the taxpayers’ money,” he said.

Chris Storey, another candidate, said Allen’s promotion will not stop him from making the case that the Clayton Sheriff’s Office needs new leadership. Storey, who held various positions at Clayton Sheriff’s Office over 23 years, said if he is elected, he will address morale in the office, make it more transparent and ethical, create partnerships and improve community safety.

“We need to have someone in leadership who knows how to address the problems, how to fix the problems,” said Storey, 55, who retired this past August. “We have a lot to do in Clayton County.”