The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is hiring more deputies, but the recent violence toward law enforcement could affect how many people want the jobs.
The sheriff’s office wants to add six to seven more people to the team.
Madison County Sheriff’s Office PIO Brent Patterson said, “We’re looking for the people who want a career here. This is not just a job. It’s a career. We’re looking for someone who wants to make their community a better place to be. We call it home. You know, this is my home, this is your home, and we want the best of the best.”
Being a law enforcement officer comes with risks. Seven Alabama law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty so far this year. Six were gunned down.
“The biggest things we deal with right now is use of force, and we have mental illness that we deal with, and those are two strong factors in law enforcement that we face today,” said Patterson.
At the end of last month, a Madison police officer was injured during a traffic stop and a Huntsville police officer was shot at several times.
Over the last week, five police officers have been killed in the U.S. One of them is Huntsville STAC Officer Billy Clardy.
Major John Stringer with the Madison Police Department said, “The missions of most police departments are pretty close. To serve and protect. That’s what binds us all together, and Bill Clardy was a good man. He was a very good police officer, and he was a good friend to anybody that met him and worked with him.”
For a list of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty this year, click here.
Deputies say they understand the risks that come with the job, but the many recent attacks against law enforcement may make people think twice before signing up.
Patterson said, “Maybe it’s just people don’t want to be in law enforcement anymore. With the violence on law enforcement that’s going on right now, it’s high, and the types of people that we’re hiring, they’re the ones that are dedicated and want to do that. They know. When they go to work here, they know what is expected of them.”
Click here to apply to be a Madison County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
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