Serving 38 Consecutive Years With Houston County Sheriff Department, 3 As Sheriff, Donald Valenza Announces Re-Election Bid

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
Date: Nov 02 2017 9:49 PM

HOUSTON COUNTY:     Standing in the same room where he was selected as Republican nominee for Houston County Sheriff, Donald Valenza announced tonight his bid for re-election as Houston County Sheriff.

Before a large crowd Donald Valenza thanked everyone for their support in his selection for the Republican nominee when then Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes resigned as Sheriff for another job.

After Donald Valenza was selected as the Republican nominee he was then appointed by the Alabama Governor to fill the unexpired term of Hughes as Sheriff.

Donald Valenza was then elected by the registered voters of Houston County to a full four year term as Sheriff.

Donald Valenza moved to Houston County to play baseball for Wallace College. While at Wallace College he took criminal justice courses. He became friends with some law enforcement officers. Valenza went with some officers on a undercover operation while in Wallace College and that is where his passion for law enforcement started. And Donald Valenza fell in love with Houston County and decided to make it his home.

Under Houston County Sheriff A.B. Clark, Donald Valenza started his career as a Corrections Officer with Houston County Sheriff Department. This was in 1979.

It did not take Sheriff Clark long to see the potential in Donald Valenza. Sheriff Clark promoted him from a Corrections Officer to Deputy Sheriff. In 1980 Valenza graduated from the Alabama Police Academy.

Deputy Donald Valenza worked his was from Corrections Officer, Patrol Division. In 1984 Valenza earned the rank of Investigator, and in 1991 earned the rank of Sergeant Investigator.

In 1999 Donald Valenza earned the rank of Lieutenant Commander over all investigations.

Then in 2007 Donald Valenza was promoted to Chief Deputy over the Houston County Sheriff Department.

In 2014 Valenza was nominated as Republican nominee for Houston County Sheriff and then appointed to fill the unexpired term of Hughes when he resigned for another job.

Then the registered voters of Houston County elected Valenza to the full term of Sheriff.

Donald Valenza worked under four Houston County Sheriff's; A.B. Clark, Lamar Hadden, Lamar Glover and Andy Hughes before becoming Houston County Sheriff.

Donald Valenza was the first Houston County Sheriff Deputy to ever attend and graduate from the National FBI Academy. In 2011 and 2012 Valenza was the President of the Alabama Chapter of the FBI Academy.

Over his 38 years Donald Valenza has put his total 100% into his job. He has remained with Houston County Sheriff Department for his entire career. Falling in love with the people when he started as a Wallace College baseball player and still today.

In 1980 Houston County Sheriff A.B. Clark started the first Special Response Team. Sheriff Clark selected Valenza to serve on that team. For 27 years he served on that team organizing special assignments the team managed as well as responding to dangerous situations.

As Sheriff, Valenza started the first DRONE unit. It was used when the SRT was on the scene of a man barricaded in a house. Valenza and the SRT used the drone to fly to the windows of the barricaded home and look inside before entry. That sold Valenza on the use of DRONES because it kept officers from risk of their lives.

Valenza has grown the team to aid officers in searches and for mapping crime scenes.

Since 1984 Donald Valenza has worked criminal investigations on more than 50 homicides that have occurred. 

Valenza stressed the accomplishments made in the 38 years and in the time he has been Sheriff, it is not a "one man effort" but a team. He pointed to the great working relationship the department has with other agencies. That was evident in the honorific crime last week when a pipe bomb was set off. From Monday morning through 2 AM Friday morning, in a multi department investigation a suspect was in custody. That investigation involved the Houston County Sheriff Department, Dothan Police, state and federal investigators. As a team the case was concluded with an arrest and no additional injuries.

Valenza has over 4,400 hours of training in his 38 years with the Houston County Sheriff Department. It has been his goal to make sure all of the department, all divisions, are trained to serve professionally in their roles to serve and protect.

He has re-structed the department to make sure supervisors were in place to help manage the department. And with the trained deputies, life changing and life threatening decisions are made by those with proper training.

Valenza has expanded the tracking dogs and K-9's. And a lot more.

With 587 square miles, 42 miles from Gordon to Wicksburg, the Houston County Sheriff Department stands ready to serve and protect.

Donald Valenza asks each resident of Houston County to look at his 38 years of service, his dedication and service, his love for this county, and to Re-Elect Donald Valenza as Sheriff of Houston County in June 2018.

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