Hometown Hero Kenneth Albright
He feels fortunate to live and work in the town where he grew up
By Karen Rice
Kenneth Albright is the chief of police in Lincoln , his hometown and the place he is raising his family . He also grew up with , played ball and went to school with Brian Bradley , Lincoln ’ s fire chief .
From the time he was a boy , there was never a doubt in Albright ’ s mind that he wanted to become a police officer .
“ It ’ s a calling . You don ’ t get in it for money or fame . I just wanted to help people .”
He began his 26-year law enforcement career with the Washington County Sheriff ’ s office , where he worked for 17 years .
Albright said he “ had a pretty good run ” at the sheriff ’ s office , where he rose through the ranks to sergeant , detective and eventually oversaw the criminal investigations division .
While he really liked working in criminal investigations , he felt another calling – to return to his hometown and try to make a difference there .
“ Lincoln was my home , and it was going through a pretty tough time . I felt like I could help bring it back , I felt obliged to see what we could do there ,” he recalled .
The force only numbered five at the time he returned almost 10 years ago , and now is up to nine as the town continues to grow .
In his current position , he oversees day-to-day operations , enforces rules and policies and manages budgets , a lot like any other management job , he noted . But the force is small enough that he can still get out from behind the desk to patrol and be out in the community .
Albright is grateful for the support of the city and community , something he considers “ extremely important .”
“ It ’ s almost heartbreaking to watch national news sometimes and see what ’ s happening in other parts of the country . We ’ re very fortunate to be living where we are .”
The pace and types of calls Albright sees in Lincoln are a bit different than what he saw at the sheriff ’ s office . He said he sees more small town issues like domestic issues , disturbances and traffic complaints . There isn ’ t a lot of violent crime , but Albright takes his role seriously to keeping his neighbors safe .
Like other Northwest Arkansas towns , Albright and his team work closely with other neighboring departments and agencies . It ’ s something that is more necessary than it was in the past , he pointed out , because crime is no longer limited to geographic areas .
“ The circles they run in are larger these days ,” he noted . “ We ’ re very fortunate in this area to have a great working relationship with other departments … there ’ s lots of mutual aid , comradery and communication .”
Albright ’ s feelings about being named a Hometown Hero are similar to those of his fellow public servants .
“ It ’ s kind of embarrassing , I guess , and very humbling . I don ’ t think of myself as a hero . That ’ s true of the majority of this profession I ’ d say .”
With Chief Albright and his boyhood friend Fire Chief Bradley overseeing the safety of this town , residents can sleep peacefully in Lincoln .
22 • WEST WASHINGTON COUNTY DIRECTORY 2024
Photo by : Alan Cruz Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette