Clayton County voters will cast their ballots in the race to replace embattled former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill Tuesday.
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No candidate for sheriff got 50% of the vote last month, so voters are headed back to the polls. Chief investigator for the Fulton County Solicitor General’s Office Clarence Cox is running against interim Sherifff Levon Allen.
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Channel 2′s Justin Carter talked to people in College Park who said this election is critical.
Jacqueline Gleaton has lived in Clayton for 35 years and said the county needs new eyes.
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“My most concern is the jail right now, because it’s not up to par,” Gleaton said. “We need improvements there.”
Inmate deaths and violence at the jail has cast a dark cloud over the sheriff’s department. The conviction of former Sheriff Victor Hill for breaking the law by strapping detainees into restraint chairs as punishment also looms over the position.
Incumbent Allen is known as Hill’s godson and mentor. Allen wouldn’t talk to Channel 2′s Tom Jones on election day last month. Carter tried reaching him again on Monday, but got no response.
Carter did talk to his challenger, Cox, who said he’s feeling good and has big plans for Clayton County.
“The first thing we’re going to do is a forensic audit on dollars,” Cox said. " We’re going to do equipment audits. We’re gonna do personnel audit.”
Cox said he wants to bring integrity back to the sheriff’s office.
“It’s gone. It’s been gone for quite some while,” Cox said. “And we want to bring trust and legitimacy to the sheriff’s office.”
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