For some, being a police officer in the same town in which they’ve lived all their lives might be a difficult task, especially if the town is small and virtually everyone knows each other on a first-name basis. For chief of police Raymond Shelton, it seems to be a natural extension of his friendly personality.
Shelton spends much of the day traveling around town and listening to residents’ problems which are as varied as the people. He listens to everything from the trivial to the life-threatening.
People seem to hold him in high regard. District Judge Jeff Choate said Shelton is “as level-headed an officer as you’ll ever know.”
Shelton uses force only as a last resort and has seldom used it in his years as an officer. In essence, Shelton is an excellent example of what a good policeman should be. Sensitive to the needs of his community, he keeps the peace in the small town of Albany.