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Demopolis Police Chief Rex Flowers is a well-known face around town, which is no surprise to the residents  he has served during his 30-year law enforcement career.

Flowers reached the milestone earlier this month and said it feels good to reach such a milestone in his career.

“I never thought I’d be here this long. I started when I was 18 years old right out of high school,” said Flowers. “You always dream about going to a big city, but it never happened with me. I was content with staying here.”

Flowers said his desire to go into law enforcement began when he joined a junior police program when he was thirteen years old.

“I joined that police program at thirteen, and I loved it from then on. I loved the people and the officers I worked with,” Flowers said. “They were good role models for me and when I graduated high school, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

Flowers described many things that have changed in his years with the police department, but the biggest changes have been with technology, he said.

When Flowers started with the police department, there was no type of non-lethal force that officers could use. Mace became a standard early during his career, but today’s technology allows officers to handle situations differently and with less risk for everyone involved.

“Early in my career body cameras were not a thing. But now almost every officer in America has one,” said Flowers.

When asked about his goals Flowers said the department has done a lot in the years he has been there and that it is going in a good direction.

“I want to keep it going in the direction that has gone. You always want to improve stuff like your technology or the relationship with the public,” Flowers said. “You have to constantly work on trying to improve because even if you’re in a good place, you can always be in a better place.”

A message that Flowers wants to leave the public with is that it is not just him who makes a difference in the community – it’s the people.

“The police department [can operate] with or without me. It’s the people here that make the difference in the community. It takes everybody here and not just me. We’ve got a good team here,” Flower said. “Our teamwork is what makes this a good place and a good department.”