By Sherri Blevins
In the present- day culture where stories abound about police brutality, and the opposite side of the coin, brutality against the police, Rainsville is fortunate to have a Police Chief that believes in giving back to the community he protects.
Mountain Valley News spoke with Rainsville Police Chief, Kevin Smith, about his position with the police department and his view towards helping the community. Smith has served in law enforcement for the past twenty-four years in various places and roles. He is a native of Sylvania, Alabama. He and his wife Brandy have a fourteen-year old son named Nathan. During his career, he has served in Fyffe, Hollywood, Tennessee, and in 2014 he joined the Rainsville Police Force. Currently, he holds the title Chief of Police.
Smith commented that one of his biggest challenges was keeping police morale up. He said, “We are combating the war on police right now that has been going on for several years. There are a lot of good people out here that support us, but you have a few, I dare to call them extremist, that no matter what we do, it’s wrong. That attitude is something we battle against everyday so that the guys won’t get down feeling like they are being targeted. Often times they really are. There are bad apples in every profession. I readily admit that, but all of our officers are good. They care about the community and strive to do good for this city.”
Chief Smith then described some of the other roles the officers fill along with providing protection for the citizens. The police department participates in many community outreach programs such as a winter coat drive and distribution program, a food drive for the Addicts for Christ’s Father’s House , and Shop with a Cop.
Chief Smith stated that the coat drive has been successful, and they are no longer in need of adult coats but are still accepting children’s coats. He said anyone in need of a coat can come to the police station for help from the cold. He also stated that often times officers will take coats to needy families if they discover a need while on a call. Chief Smith said, “We started this program last year because we felt it was something God called us to do.”
When asked about the reason for assisting Addicts for Christ in their food drive, Smith said, “A lot of people think that the only thing policemen want to do is write tickets and put people in jail. That doesn’t solve all the problems. I am a firm believer in STP (solve the problem). Drug addiction is a major problem in this area, and if we can be a part in helping the ladies at The Father’s House get off drugs, then that is what we want to do. We had rather give them a hand up instead of a hand out. We are firm believers in the redeeming power of God, and we feel that God is using Addicts for Christ in a fantastic way. When you think about it, we can either just arrest people and put them in jail, or we can hopefully do something to help them eventually become productive members of society. I take putting someone in jail very seriously because we literally are taking away someone’s freedom.”
During the Christmas season, Rainsville Police Department teamed up with other surrounding departments to provide Christmas to needy area children. Micah Smith, a sixteen-year old Ider resident started the program in 2017 raising $1500.00 resulting in a shopping spree for fifteen needy children. The police departments joined in on the fundraising in 2018 collecting enough money to carry fifty-nine children shopping.
Smith’s greatest rewards have occurred when he was giving instead of receiving. He discussed two experiences he had with the coat drive. He said, “We had one little girl come to the station for a coat. You could tell her family was in need. We searched through the coats and found a warm, soft, pink coat for her. She was about five or six. When she put it on, she kept rubbing the sleeves because they were so soft. She looked thrilled to death. We had a teenager also come to the station with his family for a coat. We were able to find a name brand jacket for him. He reacted like we had given him a million dollars. It melted my heart. The smiles on their faces are priceless. Yes, we do have to arrest people, but being able to give back to the community really touches my heart. We really do get to help people.”
Smith went on to say, “My biggest reward has been Shop with a Cop. It made my whole Christmas. The reward came not only in watching the children’s faces but in watching the policemen’s reactions. The officers are big, burly cops, but when they are with the children, they end up bawling their eyes out. Many often end up spending their own money in addition to the donated funds on the children. The greatest thrill came from a home visit we made this Christmas. We had one little girl battling cancer, so she was unable to go on a shopping trip. We brought Christmas to her. Our department along with the fire department and of course, Santa Claus arrived at her house with blue lights flashing and fire sirens blaring. She was totally clueless at first about why we were there, but then she was tickled to death with our visit. We were able to give gifts to both her and her brother.”
Chief Smith concluded the interview with one request. He asked the citizens of Rainsville to pray for God to continue to give him wisdom on how to run the department.
Mountain Valley News extends our appreciation to all emergency responders in our area. Thank you for all you do.