Chief Deputy Willie Hill began his law enforcement career with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in March 1974. He has served in and commanded every division of the Sheriff’s Office prior to becoming Chief Deputy.
Chief Hill was appointed to the Second in Command of the Sheriff’s Office by Sheriff Pettway when he took office in January 2019.
He had a passion for training early in his career. He took classes and developed the skills necessary to teach all aspects of law enforcement, such as driving, self-defense, firearms, and numerous other classes. Chief Hill is a certified gun smith and armorer on most makes of firearms, handguns, shotguns and rifles. He worked his way through the ranks to Captain in 2000 where he served as the Academy Director for both the full time and reserve academy.
He was part of the team that built the Academy Complex from the very beginning in 1985 under the command of then Sheriff Mel Bailey. Many of the original structures were built by deputy personnel, county plumbers and electricians.
Chief Hill has designed and overseen the buildings of most of the current training facility, both before and since the Sheriff took office in 2019. These things have been accomplished by the vision Sheriff Pettway has and as he says, “His best asset is a well-trained deputy”.
Because of this vision Chief Hill has over seen the construction of a new simulator building, relocation of the pavilion, the addition of an 8,000 square foot state of the art multi-classroom building. The vision will grow even more when the Sheriff’s Office breaks- ground on the 60 person barracks in December 2023.
He has a builder’s license which has helped him design and plan more buildings for the future of the Sheriff’s Office.
Chief Hill has the distinction of being on the first 5-man Sheriff’s Office S.W.A.T. team. He was also a member the first Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue/Recovery Dive Team. He has the distinction of Commanding the Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard when they took 1st and 2nd place trophies in the 2000 Southeastern Police and Fire Championship Games.
Chief Hill has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Columbia Southern University where he graduated Cum Laude. He is a graduate of the F.B.I. Academy, Quantico, Virginia.
He honorably served our country in the United States Marine Corp before beginning his career in law enforcement. He is married with two children, 4 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. He is a member of Enon Baptist Church.
Chief Hill joins Sheriff Mark Pettway in his goals for a better Sheriff’s Office and better trained personnel to provide safer communities for the citizens in Jefferson County.
