Speaking frankly, Sheriff Francis summed it up, sharing, “It benefited me to work away from here before coming back home.”  He added, “Jasper County has a lot of pride in its schools. Those of us in law enforcement — we’ve had a huge following, a huge backing. It’s something you don’t think about a lot. It’s just a way of life. When you move away, you grow to appreciate what you have here, things you don’t always find in other places.”  

 

Sometimes, what can feel stifling in adolescence becomes comforting as we grow older and experience a bit more life. That realization is exactly what floods my mind as I listen to, and hear a bit of my own life in, their stories. Both speak of hard work, a sense of belonging, and of neighbors far closer than the sprawling miles of Jasper County might imply. What they speak of is, on its face, quite personal as part of their own lived experience, but it is also something I sense is shared across Newton and the larger Jasper County community.  

 

This Sheriff and this Police Chief both know, firsthand, what it’s like to experience life’s struggles and the importance of neighbors; of community. Sheriff Francis lost his first wife and the mother of his two biological children while they were quite young. Chief Britton’s first-born son weighed less than three pounds at birth, and the family endured months of hardship. It was in these moments when both men experienced the overwhelming support of the shared community in which they serve, and both agree that this, among many other things, is what makes this community — their community — so special. 

 

“It was amazing, with the community, they just flocked together. We never asked for it. We never expected it. And that’s how it goes here. Whenever someone goes through something, people you don’t even know in this community will come together; will help each other out. And that’s what I’ve always loved about this place,” said Chief Britton. 

 

Sheriff Francis added, “These jobs can be kind of demanding at times. There was a time in my life when my wife passed, and I did not know if I’d be able to remain in this career. At the time I was working midnight shifts, just like most of the people in this line of work. I can’t thank my department enough. The guys I was working with, they said, ‘ take day shift, we’ll cover nights; we got you.’ It just says a lot about the people I work with. I have a lot of great friends. They helped me out big time, and that meant more than they’ll ever know.”  

 

The Sheriff and the Chief work well together, sharing many bonds. They partner to plan training situations and often provide backup to one another. The Newton Police Department and the Jasper County Sheriff's office are two small, but highly qualified teams, seven apiece, who share resources and show up for one another, just like the residents of the communities they serve. 

 

Or as Chief Britton said earlier, that’s “how it goes here.” And so it does.