 Good morning. My name is Kailin Alexander, and I am a 2021 State 4-H Ambassador. Today, I will be interviewing Chief Deputy William Alexander of Russell County. Good morning, Chief Alexander. I really appreciate you, I really appreciate you sacrificing your time for this interview. My first question is, what inspired you to become a law enforcement officer? After high school or during high school, I always wanted to be a public servant. And so that's why I chose this field to serve the public. What makes your job so unique? Well, especially in these times, it's very unique dealing with the number of issues that we have in our society today. So it's unique in a sense of being able to relate to the public and then offering a service that is conducive to their needs. Will you share with us some of your day-to-day responsibilities? Well, I'm more or less the Chief Operating Officer of the Sheriff's Office. We have over 150 employees. And so I run the day-to-day operations. I oversee a number of departments. Just to name a few, patrol and vision investigations and corrections. And those are just a few of the divisions that are managed by more or less the department is who answers to me. Don't necessarily micromanage those departments, but I oversee them. And so and then the manage the almost 90 million dollar budget. And then there's several other things that encompasses running the office. How long have you been serving as a law enforcement officer? September will be my 33rd year here at the Sheriff's Office. How long have you been serving as a Chief Deputy for Russell County? Well, I've had my first Dennis Chief Deputy served in this in this capacity for 10 years. I left for three years to assume the position of the Russell County's Emergency Manager and Director of Homeland Security. I did that for three years and then I came back into this same position six years ago. And to assume the position that I had previously proud of me leaving so somewhere in the neighborhood of 17 years. Is it true that you are the first African American to serve in this position? I am, yes. Where did you attend college? Well, I attended a few colleges. My first college was Auburn University in Montgomery. The University of Virginia and then the Chattanooga Valley Community College. Area of concentration. Applied Sciences and Criminal Justice. And then business management. What steps did you have to take to get appointed to this position? Well, I experienced knowledge of the operations of the Sheriff's Office. Of course, law enforcement knowledge. And then just being active in the community and then having a desire to wanting to progress through the department. And then taking advantage of every educational opportunity and training opportunity. I attended the National FBI Academy in 2008. I'm sorry, in 2000. And I graduated when I went to Washington DC. That's where the Academy is located. And from there, I came back to this office. I had to sign a contract to come back here to serve at least an additional four years and so that that's just one example of what it takes to be in this position. What is some advice you will share with you today who are aspiring to be law enforcement officers? Maintain a clean record. Both driving in the criminal record. Stay out of trouble. Educate yourself to them. It's very important that you educate yourself because this is, I look at this in more in a sense of you have to because the laws change constantly. So you have to be abreast of the laws. You have to be constantly trained. And you have to be aware, situational awareness, so to speak, in this in this line of work. So you just have to concentrate on education, keeping yourself out of trouble. And then working extremely hard to be successful. Will you share with us some of your weaknesses and strengths? Some of my weaknesses. Let me think about that for a moment. Maybe, maybe you can ask some of my employees about my weaknesses. But some of my strengths with this is definitely being physically fit. I think that's important may not be important to some folks, but it is important to me, the knowledge of the operation of this office, having 33 years of experience. And that experience encompasses working with the general public, the experience and law enforcement, how to deal with different situations because no two situations are ever the same in this line of work. And being able to transition from one extreme to the other, or the lack of, is important. And I think that I'm able to, I was able to do that and I'm able now. Being in an office setting, I constantly get, get office visits from anything from family issues to monetary issues as it relates to the sheriff's office in terms of that, as I alluded to earlier, budgetary issues. And so that's, you know, dealing with those situations or I think it's a strength weaknesses probably weaknesses, I'm not ready to retire. Enjoy what I'm doing and I want to do this for a few more years. Have you encountered any obstacles while serving in your position. Yes, several obstacles. I think that because of who I am where I come from. I think those obstacles were what they were the, what the most difficult ones. I had to always prove that I could do the job that I was capable of doing a job. And always, I just had to run a little faster and jump a little higher. And all those hurdles. And I've always wanted to, you know, I didn't want anything given to me. I just wanted to level, a level playing field, and I've had that opportunity since I've been here. What are your goals for your future retirement. Well, Chief Alexander, I really appreciate you sacrificing your time for allowing me to interview you this morning. This job sounds very interesting. I am very thrilled to have interviewed someone that is a part of history for Russell County album. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. Why don't you, you want to be in law enforcement, we need people like you.