Bio for Deputy Kevin Byrum

As a sheriff's deputy and Northampton County's only K9 officer and investigator of cruelty-to-animals cases, Kevin Byrum has gone above and beyond the normal duties of a public-service official and never fails to come through when needed.

Although he's a relative newcomer to the police force, his life and work have exemplified what service to others means. Growing up on a peanut farm in North Carolina, he learned the value of hard work, and at the age of 18, he went to work as a part-time salesman for Sears, where he'd go on to be named the top salesperson and customer-service representative year after year. At 19, he got married and enrolled in the criminal justice program at Halifax Community College, but he put his dreams on hold when he was offered a full-time position in retail the following year, dropping out of college to support his family.

Byrum worked in retail sales for nearly 30 years, until he was finally able to pursue his lifelong goal of becoming a law-enforcement officer. At the age of 47, he went to see his county sheriff, Jack Smith, who looked at him and said, "If you can make it through the Police Academy at the age of 47, I will give you a job."

Not only did Byrum make it through, he also did so with honors—graduating at the top of his class physically and academically. He was also included on the President's List and in Who's Who Among Students. Sheriff Smith kept his word, and in 2016, he hired Byrum as a full-time deputy.

To further his education, Byrum graduated from Ventosa Kennel in Scotland Neck, North Carolina, in 2017 and became Northampton County's only K9 officer. Noticing Byrum's passion for animals, Sheriff Smith offered him the additional duty of acting as the county's only investigator of cruelty-to-animals cases. Since then, Byrum has prevented suffering and pursued justice, setting a standard for zero tolerance of abuse and neglect in his county.

When Hurricane Florence devastated North Carolina, Byrum was one of two officers selected to be deployed to Wilmington to assist residents in the storm's horrific aftermath. He and the other officer left their homes and headed to the city the evening that the storm hit, even though it had stalled and was still hovering over the area. They drove through tropical-force winds and blinding rain, dodging downed trees and power lines and plowing through deep water that turned roadways into raging rivers—or washed away streets completely. The storm was so severe that the drive, which would normally take only two hours, took more than 14.

Despite having not slept for nearly two days, Byrum went right to work, delivering food and supplies and ensuring the security of residents who had lost everything. He recalls delivering emergency supplies to one man who was crying profusely. Byrum told him not to worry and that material things can be replaced. The man replied that he was not crying because he had lost everything; he was crying because he had never before been treated with such kindness.

When Byrum was finally able to get some rest, he slept on a cold jail floor. After about a week of this, a local pastor offered Byrum and his fellow officer a place to rest at his church. Impressed with the work that Byrum was doing, the pastor personally called Sheriff Smith and requested that Byrum be allowed to stay as long as possible. So what was intended to be a seven-day deployment ended up being more than 14 days. Byrum said that helping the community after the hurricane was one of the best feelings and most rewarding experiences of his life.

From fighting crime to saving animals from needless suffering, Byrum puts the safety and well-being of others ahead of his own every day and exemplifies what it means to be a true public servant.