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Sheriff asks board for dozens of new correctional officers, investigators and funding options for jail expansion
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Summary
Sheriff Levon Allen told commissioners the sheriff's office needs personnel increases (a minimum ask of 40 new correctional officers this cycle, with a planning maximum of 100), dedicated open‑records staff, fraud investigators and fleet purchases; he warned the county may face costly out‑of‑county inmate placements if capacity is exceeded.
Sheriff Levon Allen told the Clayton County budget committee that rising jail population and operational demands require increased staffing, investigative capacity and facility planning.
Allen said the original personnel analysis estimated up to 100 additional positions would be required to reach recommended staffing levels, but the sheriff is asking the commission to fund a minimum of 40 new correctional officers in this budget cycle — which he said would add 10 officers to each 12‑hour shift. He framed personnel as the top priority, followed by a request for a dedicated open‑records custodian and a team of eight fraud investigators plus supervisory positions to handle an increase in internal crimes and bonding scams.
The sheriff gave operational context: about 1,535 beds are available in the jail but capacity can exceed 2,000; daily medical needs and mental‑health medication loads are substantial. He said the county previously rented temporary space and that one nearby sheriff's office offered to take approximately 50 inmates "but with that, that price would be about $4,000 a day," underscoring potential contingency costs.
On fleet and equipment, Allen said he requested funding to purchase department autos and trucks (about 10 vehicles including K‑9 replacements) to supplement county fleet rotations and avoid drawing down central fleet replacements.
Commissioners asked for clarification on priority ordering; the sheriff confirmed correctional officers, an open records coordinator and fraud investigators were his top three priorities. Allen also advocated for a county grant coordinator or local grant resources to pursue outside funding for items such as body armor and canine equipment.
The sheriff's presentation concluded with thanks and a request that the budget reflect operational realities so the office can meet statutory response times and investigative demands.
