Finley is APD officer of week
Published 12:51 am Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Sgt. Mike Finley serves as an administrative sergeant with the Andalusia Police Department, where he has worked since 1996.
Sgt. Finley has served in several capacities, including patrol officer, K9 handler, and patrol sergeant. He also has been a member of the Incident Response Team and Andalusia Dive Team for search and rescue/recovery efforts.
As administrative sergeant, his duties include vehicle fleet management, building maintenance and working with other city departments.
Sgt. Finley is married to Kandise (Maddox) Finley, a native of Andalusia, and they have two daughters, Courtney, a junior at Auburn University, and Kristen Cooper, a registered nurse at Andalusia Health.
In his free time, he enjoys spending time relaxing by the water, on his boat, diving in the bay or ocean, and cheering on the Auburn Tigers.
Finley, a lifelong Florida State fan, recently began cheering for the Auburn Tigers, because “it’s where his money is going.”
When asked why he chose law enforcement as a career Finley’s response was simple, “It was something to do.”
Finley’s family has a history in law enforcement and he wanted to pursue a career that was structured and took dedication. Sgt. Finley says for those who wish to pursue a career in law enforcement they must, “do it because you love it. Respect people and they will respect you.”
Sgt. Finley’s future goals have been defined by finding his retirement home at the beach. He hopes to enjoy living life at a slower pace and looks forward to days of salt, sun, and leisurely dives.
“Mike and I have worked together for almost all of my career. I began in 1994 and he was soon hired and began his career with APD. There’s nothing that he can’t fix or work on. We appreciate Sgt. Finley for his knowledge and his willingness to always step in and help out. He’s not only a great officer, but a good friend. We’ve been through our share of tough times but we’ve also been through plenty of good times. The good always outweigh the bad. Together, we have watched officers come and officers go, not many officers now can say they’ve worked together for 20 years at the same department. Dedication to a department was something that we were taught and we have continued to do – it’s something that us veteran officers want the new officers to know and want. We started a job together and we plan to finish it together,” Chief Paul Hudson.