Chief Deputy Sheriff Allen Branum, who once served a stint as sheriff, was honored on Thursday night as he retired after 26 years of service.
Chief Deputy Branum has a cumulative 42 years of law enforcement service when combined with his prior service with the Soddy Daisy Police Department.
In recognition of his retirement, numerous, family, friends, and law enforcement personnel attended the ceremony in support from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and several other local and state law enforcement agencies.
Chief Deputy Branum was awarded the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office’s Exceptional Service Medal.
He, along with Deputy Chief Charles Lowery, Jr., who also is retiring, are the first employees to receive the prestigious award for service in the agency’s history.
Chief Deputy Branum has been directly responsible for the daily operations of the HCSO which include the Law Enforcement and Corrections Divisions as well as the administrative and civilian operations.
Sheriff Jim Hammond said, "During his distinguished career with the HCSO, Chief Deputy Branum has served with honor and distinction in numerous capacities including assignments in the Criminal Investigations, Narcotics and the Executive Administration Divisions. His steadfast commitment to the Sheriff’s Office has earned him the highest level of trust, loyalty and dedication from those who have had the pleasure to work with him."
Chief Deputy Branum has also served in numerous public service roles within his community beginning in 1971 when he became the first person under the age of 18 to be allowed to join the North Hamilton County Rescue Squad. His grandfather, Robert Jett, was among the first officers hired when Soddy Daisy incorporated in 1969. His father (Shorty) and Mother (Flora) worked for the Soddy Daisy Police Department for almost 25 years. Several members of the family were employed including his brother (Carl) and cousin (Larry). Kay Branum Taylor works as a records clerk today.
These and other members of the family were heavily involved in the Fire Department and/or Rescue Service prior to their law enforcement experience.
Deputy Chief Branum began his law enforcement career as a patrol officer with the Soddy Daisy Police Department in January 1977 under the direction of Chief of Police Doug Everett. After approximately two years, he was promoted to sergeant where he served until 1985 when he left to accept employment with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff H.Q. Evatt and Chief Deputy Jim Hammond.
He worked in the Patrol, Narcotics and Major Crimes Divisions until 1999. While working with Hamilton County, he served on the Soddy Daisy Board of Commissioners in the early 1990s for five years, two of those years as mayor.
He returned to Soddy-Daisy to serve as chief of police for over seven years after the retirement of Chief Everett, who originally hired him. On Sept. 1, 2006, he was appointed to the position of chief deputy with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office by the newly elected Sheriff Billy Long. He was later appointed sheriff of Hamilton County after Sheriff Long resigned due to pending criminal charges. In August 2008, Jim Hammond was elected as Hamilton County Sheriff and asked him to remain as his chief deputy.
In addition to his law enforcement career, he has been involved in and with several civic organizations over the years and currently serves as president of the Soddy Daisy Firefighters Association, serves on the board of Stop the Madness as well as Crime Stoppers. He has completed in excess of 2,000 hours of specialized public safety training during his career with several hundred hours of leadership training, including graduating from the first class of the Southeastern Command and Leadership Academy with the University of Tennessee in 2001.
Chief Deputy Branum has been a member of the Soddy Daisy Fire Department since 1971.
On hand for the ceremony were Chief Deputy Branum’s wife Donna, his sons’ Jay Branum and Lee Branum, his daughter-in-law Meagan, his two grandchildren, Nora and Parker, and many of his friends and family.
Married to Donna Branum since February of 1981, they have two adult sons, Lee and Jay, and two grandchildren, Nora and Parker. They all have lived in the Soddy Daisy area of Hamilton County all of their lives. Allen and Donna are members of Christ Family Church (Church of God) in Soddy Daisy where he has served as a deacon and an elder.