The Family

By EDI Wilson

Fulton County, Georgia, the birthplace of the Civil Rights movement and home of some of the wealthiest and most influential African Americans in the areas of politics, religion, and entertainment in the country. Another election year looms where the voters in Fulton County decide to take a chance on a new candidate, Jack Turner, a retired federal agent whose goal was to change Fulton County Sheriff's Department into a symbol of justice for the nation. To do that, Turner must pick the best, most diverse command staff to fulfill his vision. One such Commander, Vernon Sommers, is a local law enforcement officer who jumps at the opportunity to work for positive change in his home city. But in order to fulfill the new sheriff's vision, the new command staff must deal with the internal and external issues that has plagued the department for years. Unfortunately, many of his fellow officers in brown and blue want the status quo and Vernon must pay the price

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9780986335709

Book preview

price.

PROLOGUE

Election

In a race of five Democratic candidates for sheriff of Fulton County, there are three standout candidates. The incumbent, Marshal Pierce; retired US Marshal Jack Turner, and Deputy Gray Boyd. They are all present for the final debate before the primaries. Generally, the winner of this debate has gone on to be the sheriff since Fulton County is largely a Democratic stronghold in Georgia.

June 7- Democratic Party Meet and Greet with Fulton County Sheriff’s Office Candidates

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, said the moderator. Thank you for your attendance tonight. We are here at Plaza Theater in the heart of Atlanta for the fourth and final debate of the primary season for the seat of Fulton County Sheriff’s office. As you can see we have our five Democratic candidates. The candidates are placed onstage in alphabetical order. To my left is Retired Commander Doris Lynch. Commander Roberts is a former Bird Colonel in the United States Army. She served in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. She retired with full military honors two years ago and settled in Cabbagetown with her partner, Sherlyn Ross. She has been a community leader and an advocate for gay rights since her retirement. If elected, she vows to take her platform for community activism to a county wide initiative. Beside Commander Lynch is Mr. Gray Boyd. Deputy Boyd has been a deputy at the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office since 1996. He has been a deputy in all areas of the Fulton County Sheriff’s office and has a critical eye for what needs to be done to make the office run more effectively from the foot soldiers up to the commanders. In the middle is incumbent Sheriff Marshal Pierce. Marshal Pierce is seeking his second term as Sheriff of Fulton County. Marshal Pierce has served as a police officer in Fulton County before he became a Store Asset Protection manager in the private sector. His credentials led him to become Security Chief at Georgia Regents University in Augusta, Georgia before settling back in Atlanta and running successfully for Sheriff of Fulton County three years ago. At the fourth podium is Mr. Malcolm Roberts. Mr. Roberts is a citizen of Fulton County who decided to run for Sheriff because he states, as a citizen, we are not getting what we deserve from our government. It is time for the citizens to take back their government. Lastly, to my immediate right is retired US Marshal Jack Turner. Jack Turner is currently self employed as a safety and security advisor in the Buckhead and North Fulton communities to corporations and individuals. He is the husband of Samantha Turner, retired school teacher, and loving father to his three adult sons, Lucas, Jackson, and Benjamin.

Alright let us begin the debate. The mediator continued. Backstage we randomly picked the order of speakers. Marshal Pierce you may begin.

Marshal Pierce cleared his throat and began to speak.

I’ve been sheriff here since 1996. My troops helped keep the Atlanta Olympics running smoothly after the Olympic park bombing. I was born and raised here in Atlanta. I was in law enforcement for sixteen years before I became sheriff. My wife, Kathy and I have been married since college. I have been a part of the Alpharetta, Milton, Cascade, Midtown, Cabbagetown, and College Park communities. I have been a member of Ben Hill United Methodist Church since I was born. I feel it is a privilege and an honor to serve each and everyone of you.

Marshal Pierce, forty eight. Marshal was the incumbent. Unfortunately, Marshal’s name surfaced in a highly publicized gay sex scandal with a well-known minister of an Atlanta mega-church. He appears to have alienated the homosexual population of Atlanta by making several anti-gay statements while running initially. This was a strategy orchestrated by his campaign manager, Roger Peterkins, who wanted to assure the incumbent sheriff could capture the uber-religious Black Atlanta vote of the city as well as the conservative White vote of north Fulton. Marshal Pierce was able to deflect the rumors by flaunting his wife, Kathy, and two daughters, Melissa and Emily, at all of the remaining campaign stops. He deflected the questions about the incident with a smile, and a kiss on the cheek of his wife and one of his daughters. He would say, Please do not talk about such things in front of my family.

The second person chosen backstage to speak is Malcolm Roberts.

Malcolm reached in his pocket and pulled out a prepared speech.

Hello fellow citizens of Fulton County. I am like you a citizen born and raised in the city of Atlanta. Most people call us relics, since most people who live here now are transplants. With the rapid population growth, I have seen my beloved city stop caring about the citizens and focus too much on money and image of the new transplants. When elected, I plan to run the office of Sheriff of Fulton County as affordably with safety for all citizens in mind. It seems our new leaders have forgotten about everyone. If you do not have a certain zip, it seems our law enforcement don’t give a rip.

There were chuckles, Malcolm Roberts continued. I live in West End. I always have. I do not have a college degree. My school was the School of Hardknocks and Hard Labor. Unlike my opponents, I have no formal training in law enforcement. Unfortunately, my training in law enforcement is protecting my damn self because our law enforcement officials at APD, Sheriff’s Department, and other agencies have let us down. I have a gun, but I have had to use it to protect myself and my property from the thugs in my community. When elected, I will make sure all of us are protected, not just the rich. Thank you for your time and elect me, Malcolm Rogers.

Thank you, Mr. Rogers, now Commander Lynch may introduce herself said the moderator.

Hello, my name is Commander Doris Lynch. I not only served in Operations Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, I was a ground soldier for two of those three invasions. I have demonstrated my leadership qualifications and I am not afraid to roll up my sleeves and get the job done. I have what it takes to lead the troops in combat to get our mission done. Thank you.

Next up is Jack Turner, said the moderator.

Thank you Mr. Rogers for telling us about your neighborhood and Commander Lynch for likening Fulton County to a war zone.

There was more chuckling. I understand and empathize with my opponent, Mr. Rogers. I understand the position of all of my opponents. All of us want positive change for the city. I am Jack Turner. I have been in law enforcement since college. I served in the military as a military police officer, then as a US Marshal. I love the energy of Atlanta and Fulton County so much that my wife, Samantha, and I moved here after I retired. I have been working with many of the communities and corporations here in Fulton County for the past five years advising them on security and safety measures that are simple and affordable. I believe in the old fashion way of life where everyone knows their neighbor and is not afraid to walk down the streets of their own neighborhood at night. I plan to help restore that sense of ease to Fulton County because unlike my other opponent, I do not see our county as a war zone, but instead a place where true hope, change, and work can take us to the next level.

Jack Turner was sixty one. Jack Turner was a retired US Marshal and well respected family man. Jack grew up in a law enforcement environment. His father was Italian and Irish, his mother was Creole. After a successful tenure with the US Marshals, Jack and his family settled in Atlanta five years ago. He has enjoyed his retirement. He has made many friends among all the elite of Atlanta. Jack has been doing freelance security detail for many important corporations providing seminars on safety, loss prevention, and corporate protection. Jack was picked by PAC (Politicians, Artist, and Commerce), the new political machine and many in the Buckhead Coalition to run against Pierce. He has the local and federal connections and can capture the Black and White votes in Atlanta. His wife of thirty- two years is Samantha. She gave up her dream of working on Wall Street to be a stay at home mother of their three sons, Lucas, thirty; Jackson, twenty eight; and Benjamin, twenty. After the boys went to school, Samantha became a school teacher so that she could still be around the boys when they were not in school. As Jack rose through the ranks of the US Marshals, the family frequently moved, and Samantha was able to continue her career as a teacher when the family moved. Samantha never complained. Jack’s last assignment was Phoenix, Arizona. When Jack retired from the US Marshal, Jack asked Samantha where she wanted to live. With Lucas living in Birmingham, Alabama and an officer at Fort McClellum, Jackson finishing law school in Nashville, Tennessee at Vanderbilt, and Benjamin at Georgia Tech, majoring in engineering, Samantha chose Atlanta because of the liveliness and to be close to all three sons.

Our final candidate to give his opening speech is Deputy Boyd. As the moderator finished, there were some cheers from the audience and even some whistling.

Thank you to my, umm, supporters, Deputy Boyd said as he flashed his pearly whites and a dashing smile. I am Deputy Gray Boyd, I have worked for Sheriff Pierce since 1996. My first job was as a deputy in Fulton County. I was also born and raised in Atlanta. I went to Georgia Military College, then to Morehouse College. I always wanted to work in law enforcement. I thought I wanted to be an attorney. I have worked my way up the chain of command in the Sheriff’s office. I believe I have the respect and admiration of the officers. They have no problem working for me. I am a member of Saint Benedict’s Catholic Church in North Fulton, but I live in Union City. I want to be the next sheriff of Fulton County because I know I can do a good job.

Gray Boyd, forty. Gorgeous Gray. He was single, heterosexual, college educated. He was a commodity in Atlanta. Good looking is an understatement for Gray. Light skinned, head full of wavy, softly graying hair. Women wanted him and he knew it. Hell, in Atlanta, men wanted him too. Gray was smart enough to be coy with the gay community. Gray was a womanizer in the sheriff’s department. His looks had women flocking to him and with the male to female ratio in Atlanta of 14 to 1 ratio, Gray has no intention of being tied down. He has had his fair share of the women in Atlanta. The women cannot get enough of him, they will do anything for him. He has been in the sheriff’s office for eighteen years. He is the one the employees of the Fulton County Sheriff’s department want to win. He knows how the system operates. He worked his way up the ranks to Lieutenant over the Warrants Division in Law Enforcement. He has seen the best and the worst practices of the past sheriff’s, including the incumbent candidate. Unfortunately, his campaign is poorly run and is lacking funds.

The debate continued for another hour. For the most part, the rest of the debate was uneventful. The same questions were asked from the audience as were the first two debates. The candidates answered in kind, until the last question of the day which was aimed at Incumbent Marshal Pierce.

The member from the audience stood and asked, Sheriff Pierce, in the wake of the personal scandal that has enveloped your last stent as sheriff, how do you propose to acknowledge the LBGT community?

There was a hush in the auditorium and after what felt like another hour, Sheriff Pierce spoke and simply said, I don’t. The silence continued until the moderator spoke.

And with that ladies and gentlemen our third and final Democratic Candidates for Sheriff of Fulton County debate has come to an end.

And so did the reign of Sheriff Pierce in Fulton County. The results of the Democratic candidate for sheriff were in. Jack Turner won the race with fifty two percent of the vote. Gray Boyd came in second with twenty three percent of the vote and in a rare upset the incumbent Marshal Pierce finished a distant third with only twelve percent of the vote. Atlanta Georgia, the main city for Fulton County, was seventy percent Democratic. Momentum for Jack Turner and his vision for the Fulton County Sheriff Office was building. The people of the county loved him. The press adored him. With all these factors in place after the primaries, it was safe to assume Jack Turner would be the next sheriff of Fulton County. Jack Turner’s Republican opponent, Nick Rogers of Roswell, decided not to debate.

Election Day arrived, and it could not come soon enough. Jack and his team continued to campaign up until the very last moment. He did not want to take any citizen or any vote for granted. Taking the advice of his previous opponents, Jack made sure he listened to the concerns of everyone from Bankhead to Buckhead, from Union City to Milton. His efforts were rewarded with a unanimous win.

A Humble Jack gave a victory speech:

I would like to thank my opponents for a civil and respectable race. Rarely, in politics can candidates run on the issues and without the mudslinging. I hope to work with my incumbent, while continuing to work with Gray Boyd at the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department.

I would also like to thank my wife, family, and campaign staff for getting us to this moment.

Jack looked behind him at his family. Samantha and the boys were behind their dad, smiling and holding hands.

Jack continued. The citizens of Fulton County have shown why we are the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement. We have shown the country that the color or colors of a person skin are not as important as their character. I want to thank you for believing in me and my family to do what is best for the citizens of Fulton County. This victory has shown that we, citizens of Fulton County, are all a family and that working together can make this city greater each day. Every citizen in Fulton County make this county the international beacon of hope, justice, and equality. We are all one big family. And let’s be honest, all families have issues that must be addressed for the continued success of the family. Our family, Fulton County, is no different. We all know there are problems in our family, our county. But we must work together to address our issues for continued success of our wonderful county.

Therefore, I pledge to you wonderful citizens of Fulton, that I will pick the best, most diverse command staff that the federal, state and local level have to offer. You deserve the best, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Why? Because we are all one big family that makes the county the greatest in the South.

We are Family by Sister Sledge is the song playing in the background. Black, White, rich, poor, gay and straight citizens of Fulton County celebrate the win.

∼1∼

Searching for the Best

Shortly before Jack’s official win as sheriff of Fulton County, he had a long list he had made of people he would love to work for him, if and when he was elected. When the polls indicated there was a strong possibility that Jack would be the next sheriff, he started contacting many of the people on his list to get a feel of the possibility they would come work for him.

While Jack knew many of the best federal agents from various agencies, Jack knew he was lacking local talent. He needed to connect with someone who knew of the local talents among the metro police departments. The Buckhead Coalition had suggested several names of people that should be on his short list. The Midtown Mile made suggestions. PAC (Politicians, Artists, and Corporations) Leaders of Atlanta provided some names. Jack took all of these names into consideration and fairly made his choices based on their credentials. Interestingly, some of the same names surfaced from the different sources.

However, Jack was no fool, he needed to not only know who these officers were, but also to be able to contact them. He knew he needed to contact someone connected to the local police agencies. He knew exactly who to call.

Hello, Sterling Enterprises. How may I direct your call?

Hello, this is Jack Turner…

Before he could say anymore, the receptionist said. Hello Sheriff Turner, Mr. Sterling has been expecting your call. He just got out of a meeting, I will put you right through. Please hold.

A few seconds later, a broad, strong voice was on the line.

Hello, Sheriff Turner, so glad to hear from you.

Sheriff Turner? I think it is a little presumptuous for that title now. Jack chuckled.

Well, then why are you calling?

Jack paused, knowing he was calling because all indications were that this time next year, he would more than likely going to be called Sheriff Turner. He surmised he should get used to it.

You are right Lionel, I might as well get use to the title.

The Sterling’s were a very wealthy, very well connected family in Atlanta. They were instrumental in getting the Black and White vote of Fulton County. They were the biracial family in Atlanta. Knowing color of the skin is just a formality, this family was well connected in both the Democratic and Republican parties. The majority of the family members are the founders and foot soldiers of PAC. Lionel Sterling, Sr. made it a point not to spoil or shelter his children. Everything in life they achieved, they worked for it. They did not start at the top, they earned their way there. They ran PAC and were well invested in the Buckhead Coalition, The Downtown Alliance, Auburn Avenue revival, and the Cascade