As Madison County continues to add residents, businesses and major federal missions, Sheriff Kevin Turner says his department has been growing with it.

Turner, who is seeking reelection, told 256 Today the Madison County Sheriff’s Office has grown from 138 deputies to 219 and is currently fully staffed, something he considers particularly significant at a time when law enforcement agencies across the state and country have struggled to fill positions.

“I think we’ve done a remarkable job with that, and we have focused on the manpower to make sure that we serve the people of Madison County,” Turner said.

For Turner, staffing is not simply a number. “The Sheriff’s Office responds to more than 60,000 calls for service each year across roughly 900 square miles,” he said.

“It means everything to have the bodies out there, and not just bodies, but deputies that are seasoned law enforcement officers that go out and handle these calls for these people,” Turner said.

The additional manpower has also allowed the department to expand its school resource officer program from eight deputies to 26, according to Turner, through a partnership with the Madison County Board of Education and superintendent.

“We have worked our butts off to get from eight resource officers to 26 resource officers,” Turner said. “The kids deserve a chance of defense. They deserve defense and they deserve a chance if something ever happens.”

Clardy’s legacy

Turner also reflected on the recent mile marker dedication honoring fallen Huntsville Police Officer Billy Fred Clardy III, whose 2019 line-of-duty death led to passage of the Officer Billy Clardy III Act.

For Turner, the ceremony was personal.

Before becoming sheriff, Turner worked in drug and gang investigations, including with the Madison-Morgan County Strategic Counterdrug Team, and knew Clardy and his family.

“Billy Clardy means a lot to me,” Turner said. “I remember kicking in doors. I remember going through that door every single night to secure that house. And something can happen at any given time. You never know if you’re going to get to go back home.”

Turner said the law named in part for Clardy gives officers another tool to do their jobs.

“Billy Clardy means everything to Madison County, means everything to the city of Huntsville,” he said.

Flock cameras and accountability

Turner also weighed in on the debate surrounding Flock Safety license plate reader cameras, saying he strongly supports their use as an investigative tool while recognizing concerns about oversight.

“I love the Flock cameras when it comes to solving crimes,” Turner said. “I love the fact that we’re able to use it as another set of eyes and tools.”

Turner pointed to their potential use in locating suspects after violent crimes as well as finding missing children or people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Turner said access to the system within his department is controlled, and he supports safeguards to ensure it is used appropriately.

“It’s just like any other platform with law enforcement. You’ve got to hold everybody accountable,” Turner said.

Asked about potential legislative guardrails on the technology, Turner said he is open to oversight as long as it does not prevent law enforcement from legitimately using the cameras.

“I told my chief, I like the idea of us having to audit every month,” Turner said. “I don’t mind that one bit, but we cannot take away from us doing our job as law enforcement.”

Experience

Turner began his law enforcement career as a Madison County patrol deputy in 1992. His career has included work in gang investigations, narcotics, violent crime and the Madison County District Attorney’s Office, where he served as chief investigator.

He said that experience, along with relationships developed with Huntsville and Madison police and federal agencies including the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security, has shaped his tenure as sheriff.

Today, Turner said he is responsible for more than 460 employees as well as approximately 1,300 inmates.

He also pointed to declining crime as evidence of the direction of the department, saying robberies are down 46% and homicides and thefts have also declined.

For Turner, the county’s growth and the arrival of missions — such as U.S. Space Command — make maintaining public safety even more important.

“You have all these people moving here from all over the country,” Turner said. “They need to know when they move here that the sheriff of Madison County, which is their chief law enforcement officer, is going to have their best interest.”

And after more than three decades in law enforcement, Turner said the enthusiasm for the work remains.

“I love my job,” Turner said. “I’ve never woke up and not wanted to come to work.”

As he seeks another four years, Turner said he believes the department has built momentum that should continue.

“It’s just the engine that doesn’t stop,” Turner said. “We need to continue on and continue to make Madison County greater and greater.”

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