Two New Deputies Join Valley County Sheriff's Department

Valley County native Andrew Brandt and Alabama native Dylan Ford are the newest deputies of the Valley County Sheriff's Department. Though they come from different areas of the country, their small town backgrounds allow them to quickly acclimate to the area while also looking forward to making the county a better place for the present and future.

Brandt officially started as a deputy on March 21, however has been working for Valley County since August as a detention officer. A graduate of Glasgow High School in 2016, he was always drawn to law enforcement as a career. "I was raised in the Glasgow community. I want to give back to the community I grew up in and keep it safe," he explained. After working security in a big city, he and his girlfriend of seven years, a native of Nashua, decided to come back home to spend more time with family. In their free time, they enjoy taking their two dogs outside and just indoor the outdoors.

Ford started with the Sheriff's Office on March 6 moving from Louisiana. Small town life is nothing new for him as he grew up in a town about the size of Glasgow in southern Alabama. He previously worked for the Louisiana Police department prior to taking on this opportunity. "I have friends in Glasgow and decided to just give this a shot," explained Ford on how he ended up in the area. Though he has no formal training in law enforcement, everything he knows has been on the job training and a few courses, which has served him well. For a short time, he was the youngest chief of police in the state and was the only full-time officer for the area that he covered. "There was only 180 people in the village. Glasgow is a metropolis!," laughed Ford. Though he still trying to get used to the area and find fun things to do, he does enjoy fishing, singing and doing karaoke. "The community has been so welcoming so far. Tom is a really good sheriff and I'm excited to see what the future holds," said Ford.

While both deputies are getting used to their new positions and way of life, they both look forward to seeing how their career will grow in the Sheriff's Office while also making the county a safer place.