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Kody Taylor of the Andalusia Police Department has come full circle after he received a promotion to the position of sergeant from Chief Paul Hudson on Friday, Sept. 8.

Sgt. Taylor has served as a police officer for the last nine years including four with the APD. He previously worked with the Alabama State Troopers for two years and three years with the Covington County Sheriff’s Office.

“Being promoted to sergeant at the department where it all began is huge for me and is a stepping stone to where I want to be later on in my career at this department. I’m grateful at the opportunity to serve Andalusia because not only do I get to drive the nice pretty vehicles, I also get to interact with the community. By doing so, I show that law enforcement isn’t just writing tickets and taking folks to jail but that we are also regular human beings like everyone else,” Taylor said.

According to Chief Hudson, officers eligible for the position are encouraged to submit applications. Those interested in the position are then interviewed by a select panel of supervisors with more than 125 years of combined law enforcement experience.

“We (the selection panel) had a tough decision to make. All of the officers eligible for the position are APD law enforcement officers with more than two years of experience, and each holds various training and skills that make them extremely valuable to our department. After much discussion and consideration, Kody was selected for the position due to his nine years of experience in law enforcement and his commitment to the recent assignment of officer in charge. I feel his law enforcement experience will be beneficial to the Andalusia Police Department, and his leadership skills and abilities will be valuable to his shift and new officers in the future,” Hudson said.

Sgt. Taylor is a 2010 Pleasant Home School alumnus. He joined the APD in April 2014 and graduated from the police academy in Selma later that same year in August. He will supervise C-shift patrol.

“I wanted to be a police officer to not only serve my community but to try and be a positive influence on the community as well. As a supervisor, I will be able to patrol the city limits of Andalusia and respond to any call necessary throughout the city. I’m looking forward to getting to share what I’ve learned in my nine years to the guys who are just joining law enforcement,” he said.

Sgt. Taylor thanked his parents Randy and Teresa Taylor, grandparents Lenton Herring and Barbara Herring, sister and brother-in-law Marissa and JD Whitt, niece Amelia Whitt, two daughters Finnleigh and Audrey Taylor, Chief Paul Hudson and Captain Paul Dean, and lastly Sheriff Dennis Meeks and the late Chief Deputy David Anderson.

For him, the support from his family, friends, and colleagues is huge in his line of work.

“Knowing that you have support and people in your corner at all times you can go to with anything is a great feeling and benefit to have. I want to extend my appreciation to Chief Hudson, Captain Dean, and Captain Holmes for trusting me with this role as it is a big responsibility when you have a young department like we do and believing in me to help mold the future of the Andalusia Police Department,” Taylor said.