Sheriff Levon ALLEN

Sheriff Levon Allen is an Atlanta native (a Grady baby) whose parents raised him in SW Atlanta until 1996, when his aunt Marion Sherrer was murdered at the hands of her boyfriend, whom she was trying to leave. Although Sheriff Allen was young at the time, he still remembers the incident as if it were yesterday.

After searching for a better place to raise their family, at age 9, Sheriff Allen’s parents purchased a home in Clayton County, right off of Flint River Road (Riverdale), where he attended Pointe South Elementary School, Pointe South Middle School, Riverdale High School, and Mundy’s Mill High School.

At the age of 14, he met Dr. Anthony Smith, who is now the Superintendent of Clayton County Schools, who gave him his very first job working for the Clayton County Board of Education as a custodian at Pointe South Middle, cutting grass, waxing, and buffing floors. 

At such a young age, the sky was the limit for Sheriff Allen, and yet he was still unsure of what he wanted to do in life, but after the following listed events took place in his life, it was very clear what his purpose was in life.

In 2000, Sheriff Allen’s only brother was shot and killed in Atlanta, in the front yard of his grandmother's home. In 2008, Sheriff Allen’s oldest sister was burned alive and killed in her home in Atlanta by her boyfriend, who threatened to kill her if she ever tried to leave him. 

After experiencing the harm and pain that families go through when their family members are victims of heinous violent crimes, Sheriff Allen had a clear vision of what he wanted to do in life: "defend those who could not defend themselves."

Sheriff Allen joined the United States Army, where he served six years in the Georgia Army National Guard and two years in the Army Reserves from 2008 to 2016.

However, Sheriff Allen also made a decision to achieve his objective, which would change his life and set him on a clear trajectory toward his life's mission and calling. Sheriff Allen decided to walk into the office of Sheriff Victor Hill in 2008, when he was only 18 and had no appointment, and ask if he could speak to the retired sheriff who just happened to be there and granted him an audience. Allen told Victor Hill that he wanted to one day become the Sheriff, while describing the tragedies his family experienced firsthand as victims of heinous crimes. 

Sheriff Hill, who began his crime-fighting career because of a childhood friend who was raped, mutilated, and murdered, was so moved by Allen’s story that he took him under his wing, and Allen quickly became his greatest protege. The relationship ironically developed much like the mythical Dark Knight/Nightwing relationship, proving that sometimes life does imitate art. Sheriff Hill became Allen's godfather after seeing the promise and potential, as well as the drive, in a young man who was bold enough to approach him unannounced.

In 2010, Sheriff Allen joined the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office as a detention officer under Sheriff Thomas E. Brown. He became a member of Sheriff Brown's Honor Guard and his Jail Emergency Service Team (JEST). He also received the honor of receiving a Sheriff’s Commendation letter from Sheriff Brown for assisting a DeKalb Police Officer in a fight on the expressway with a suspect that was trying to escape.

In 2013, Sheriff Victor Hill, who believed there could be no success without a successor, called now-Sheriff Allen to the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office to begin his training as an apprentice so he could be ready when the time came to take the lead. Allen did not disappoint, starting out as a correctional officer and obtaining every rank before becoming the sheriff.

Correctional Officer

Deputy Sheriff II

Investigator 

Sergeant 

Lieutenant 

Captain 

Major 

Chief Deputy 

Sheriff

Out of all the positions Sheriff Allen held at the Sheriff’s Office, the one that was dear to his heart was when he was the commander of the elite fugitive squad, where he led the unit to clearing the top ten most wanted list multiple times and capturing over 100 violent suspects.

Sheriff Allen also commanded Sheriff Victor Hill’s Clean Initiative Program, which was the unit that took inmates out in the community to pick up trash and paint over graffiti. Sheriff Allen took the lead on removing major graffiti from the Interstate overpass at Jonesboro Rd and plans to create a new cleaning crew to get Clayton County looking good again.

Sheriff Allen is determined to not let Clayton County become a safe haven for criminals or warehouse for thugs! Criminals who dare to continue to commit crimes in Clayton County under the leadership of Sheriff Allen will have the full force of the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office to deal with.