By Shelby Mathis

Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Wood has served his community with pride for the last two years and has no intentions of stopping any time soon.

According to Wood, becoming a law enforcement officer was a goal he set for himself as a child that came to fruition in adulthood.

“It’s a dream that I’ve always had since I was a kid,” Wood said. “There were a few people I looked up to for doing it over the years but it has really always been something that I wanted to do, so I pursued it.”

Wood previously served as a reserve deputy with the department, which fellow deputy Lee Simmins said gave Wood a leg up when he began his full time career where he is currently exceeding expectations.

“He’s certainly a big asset to the Sheriff’s office,” Simmons said. “He’s got a great work ethic, he’s well known with the citizens of the county and he’s very professional with his work.”

Wood said  the most important and most fulfilling part of his career is making a difference in the lives of those in the community and helping people, which he sets out to do each day. 

While he truly believes that law enforcement has been his calling all along, Wood acknowledged that there are difficulties he faces day-to-day. However, knowing he has the ability to make a difference and influence positive change in the lives of others makes up for the negatives that go along with his career.

“The hardest part is seeing certain things that other people don’t see,” Wood expressed. “For instance, when we have a murder or things that have to do with kids, like accidents we come up on. That’s probably the worst thing in my opinion. But, there’s so much stuff that I do every day that changes people. Even just writing somebody a ticket sometimes changes their perspective on how they’re acting.”

Wood said that at the end of the day his job is to keep the community safe, and that’s what he sets out to accomplish, even though members of the public sometimes misunderstand the reasons why law enforcement officers do the things they do.

“People don’t understand the stuff we have to go through and the stuff we have to see to keep people safe,” Wood said. “A lot of people don’t understand why we have to do our job. For instance, when we’re writing tickets people get mad of course, but I figure if I slowed you down this time maybe I saved your life or somebody else’s life.”

Wood encouraged anyone who feels drawn to the field of law enforcement to pursue it, if it is their passion, adding that his seven-year-old daughter Avalynn is already geared up and planning to follow in his footsteps.