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Clay Bryant, Riverbend Drive, LaGrange

Occupation: Georgia Public Defender investigator

Education: Hogansville High School, Georgia State Patrol Training School, Woodrow Wilson College of Law

Relevant experience: 30 years of law enforcement experience, including the Georgia State Patrol, Hogansville Chief of Police, investigator for the Coweta Judicial Circuit.

Clay Bryant is the first person to make a successful independent bid for sheriff in Troup County. His goals for the department are:

• Provide fair, effective, proactive law enforcement to all citizens of Troup County.

• Increase the number of officers that work to control narcotics in Troup County as the drug problem is relevant to many other crimes.

• Institute program of rank structure that is based on formal and professional education and training as well as job performance that is fair and equitable to all members of the department.

• Work to improve relations and cooperation will all law enforcement agencies in the county and surrounding jurisdictions.

• Cooperate with Troup County Schools on matters of safety and security as well as increasing the department’s commitment to drug and alcohol awareness and education in partnership with the schools.

• Restore resource officers in Long Cane Middle, Callaway Middle and High schools.

• Stress community policing with deputies being more visible and interactive with members of the community.

• Provide an annual public audit and accounting for all discretionary monies (seized drug funds) and provide tracking of all items purchased with these funds.

• Cooperate fully with the courts and other departments within the county government to ensure ongoing dialogue to prevent problems that will adversely affect efficient service to the citizens of the county.

Bryant said he chose to run as an independent because people see the sheriff as a justice position, not a political position.

“They don’t come into the sheriff’s office and see Democrat or Republican,” he said. “they see right and wrong and the application of the law. People are ready to see a change in the way we approach the business of government. People are ready to see more public service-minded officials. I hope we see that across the board. I will diligently seek ways to improve office efficiency and live within our means.”