75 people surrender improper Clayton badges

More than half of the 121 people who had badges improperly issued by the former Clayton County sheriff have turned them in.

On Thursday night, the AJC published a list of 121 people wanted by Sheriff Kem Kimbrough for inappropriately obtaining a badge.

The list included people who were given badges by former Sheriff Victor Hill. Some were sworn law enforcement officers and others were friends who had done favors for the former sheriff.

The former sheriff gave badges to barbers, campaign workers, pastors and friends, Kimbrough said.

By 3:15 p.m. Monday, 75 people on the list – and three people not on the list – had turned their badge in or made arrangements with the sheriff.

“We got a flood of phone calls,” Kimbrough said Monday. “I want to send our apologies for any embarrassment we caused, but it was essential to get it resolved and other methods we used weren’t successful.”

The sheriff’s fugitive squad has been on the hunt for the badges since Kimbrough took office in January.

A few months ago, Kimbrough’s staff found a list of 121 people who were given badges and don’t work for the department. The list doesn’t include another 80 or so badges given to unknown friends of Hill, Kimbrough said.

“We have reason to believe 200 badges were purchased and given out,” he said.

Hill, who recently got a job selling cars in metro Atlanta, declined to comment on the badges.

“I’m retired from the media, but I’d love to see you in a Lexus, sweetheart,” Hill said Monday evening when reached at his job.

The fugitive squad is continuing to try to track down the outstanding badges.

“If you turn it in now, there will no questions asked,” Kimbrough said Monday. “If we have to come find you, then that’s a different story. If we have proof you are withholding a badge or ID, we’ll seek warrants.”

Anyone who turns in a badge will receive a letter from the sheriff saying the issue has been resolved.

As of Tuesday afternoon, several pastors, former deputies and a Pep Boys’ employee remained on the list.

Several of the people on the list sent emails to the sheriff insisting their names be removed from the list, but they never turned the badge in or offered to explain why they had one in the first place, Kimbrough said.

“A couple of people who turned in the badges said they got them as a professional courtesy to show during traffic stops,” he added. “That’s unbelievable.”