OFFICER OF THE YEAR
PROTECTING AND SERVING HIS HOMETOWN Law Enforcement Officer of the Year has spent most of his career in Huntsville STORY & PHOTOS BY JOSEPH BROWN
From an early age , Wade Roberts knew that he wanted to be in law enforcement .
Now a sergeant with the Huntsville Police Department , Roberts leads a team of six officers who strive to make the 2021 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year ’ s hometown a safe place for all .
“ None of my family is in law enforcement , but I just always knew that it was something I wanted to do ,” Roberts said . “ I got to know deputies with the ( Walker County ) Sheriff ’ s Office at an early age , and I always thought that was the coolest job .”
Like many others within the department , Roberts has spent the majority of his career in Huntsville , starting in 2006 . In the middle of his career , he had a four-year stint working for the Office of the Attorney General in Austin , but felt the calling to come back to Huntsville in July 2013 , where he has swiftly moved up the ranks .
“ This is a good place to be a police officer and it ’ s always been ,” Roberts said . “ Huntsville is a small enough place , and growing up here , I know enough people that I can get things done pretty easily . I knew that when I left in 2009 that I would always move back .”
And it ’ s the small-town atmosphere that has kept Roberts in his hometown .
“ In a department like this you get to be well-rounded ,” he noted . “ In major metro areas you don ’ t get to investigate a call from start to finish , like you do here .”
However , despite his many accolades , Roberts continues to give all of the credit to the men in blue that work underneath him , including his assistant supervisor Cpl . Tim Watson .
“ My job is straight-forward . The people that work for me make my job pretty easy . I wouldn ’ t be able to do the job that I do if they didn ’ t make things easy ,” Roberts said . “ Going forward the challenge will be with staffing , as the population increases . We ’ ve had business and population growth , so you ’ re going to need an increase in equipment and an increase in police officers .”
To help with the growth , Roberts along with his fellow officers recently moved into a new state-of-the-art headquarters , located at the intersection of FM 2821 and Rosenwall Road in northern Huntsville . The facility will allow the Huntsville Police Department to expand and prepare for the future .
“ Just having the room to expand is one thing , because we outgrew this building 20 years ago . However , It does speak to the community backing that we ’ ve always had here . The Huntsville community has consistently been a constant support for law enforcement .”
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In a department like this you get to be well-rounded . In major metro areas you don ’ t get to investigate a call from start to finish , like you do here .
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HUNTSVILLE LIVING | JULY-AUGUST 2021 | 31