By Staff
Thomas Tingle
Madison County Record
The Madison Police Department has four new officers on board who will soon be hitting the streets to help protect and serve.
The officers were officially sworn in during the Nov. 25 meeting of the Madison City Council.
The new officers are Chris Townsend, Nathan Beard, Stephen Reaves, and Marcus Smith.
Townsend began his employment with the Madison Police Department in Feb. 1977 as a record clerk. In Aug. 2000, he was assigned as a dispatcher at the 911 center and was promoted as a patrol officer in Aug. 2002. He entered Jacksonville Academy in September and was elected secretary/treasurer of his class. At graduation on Nov. 15, he was awarded the "Director's Award" for displaying a high potential for leadership and achievement. He is currently training on first shift patrol.
Beard started his law enforcement career with Craven County Sheriff's Department in North Carolina in 2001. There, he held the position of deputy sheriff and K-9 handler. He served four years in the Marine Corp. and is originally from Fayetteville, Tenn. Beard moved to the area last September and was hired by the Madison Police Department as a patrol officer. He is married with one child and working on third shift.
Reaves began working with the Madison Police Department in Aug. 2002 after serving 10 years in the Army as a military police officer. After leaving the military, he went to work for the Huntsville Police Department. While in the military, he worked as an investigator, SRT member, patrol shift supervisor, and desk sergeant. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice and is married with three children. Reaves is currently training on third shift patrol.
Smith was hired in Aug. 2002 after working for the Department of Corrections. He served four years in the Marine Corp. and is presently a sergeant in the Army Reserves. Smith also graduated from Jacksonville Academy in November and was elected class president. He is married with three children and currently training on second shift patrol.
There are 50 police officers at the Madison Police Department.