Sgt. Mike Hayden began his career at Andalusia Police Department in 1998.

During his time with APD and before his law enforcement career, Sgt. Hayden has served in the U.S. Army, Tennessee National Guard, Alabama National Guard, and Navy Reserve. He was deployed in 2007 to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom where he served in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Sgt. Hayden makes his home outside of Andalusia with his wife. They have three children and three grandchildren, and are expecting a fourth soon.

His favorite hobbies are roller-skating and mechanic projects. He enjoys working every day of the week. Sgt. Hayden’s favorite meal would be a T-Bone steak hot off the grill and pineapple squares for dessert. When it comes to football, he pulls for the Andalusia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide.

His advice for anyone wanting to join law enforcement would be, “I suggest that anyone wanting to join law enforcement to consider the oath that you will take to receive your badge. It means your life must change. You must live your life off-duty as you would on-duty. You set a higher standard for everyone to see because you become a role model to a lot of younger people and you must earn the trust of older citizens. You represent not only yourself but your department, every member, and the entire city, county, or state that employs you. Honesty, courage, and dependability will become your lifestyle. Wanting to make a difference and helping those who need it also become a priority. It is a lot to consider and a lifelong commitment.”

Sgt. Hayden says that he did not choose the career.

“Sgt. Charles Bailey and I were both in martial arts training,” he said. “Sgt. Bailey expressed his knowledge about openings at the police department. I met with then Chief Jerry Williamson. I was called back for an interview and took the position with Andalusia PD.”

His long-term plans include to continue his work with the City of Andalusia, complete his bachelor’s degree with Troy University, and work at helping Andalusia progress.

“I’ve worked with Sgt. Hayden since he began his career at Andalusia. We’ve worked on the same shifts and sometimes different divisions but we’ve always worked as a team,” said Chief Paul Hudson. “When you have a veteran officer of the police department and armed forces, you have a unique opportunity to know that younger officers are receiving a structured training and information that will be useful to those who do not have the military background. Sgt. Hayden exemplifies how the structure, knowledge, and camaraderie that he learned during his years of military service is a great benefit to working in law enforcement and to our department. We look forward to having Sgt. Hayden with APD for many, many years.”