Henry County chief deputy retires after 34 years of service

On Feb. 26, the Henry County Sheriff's Office said goodbye to Chief Deputy Tracy Brooks after 34 years of service. Brooks's retirement makes him just the second chief deputy to leave the Henry County Sheriff's Office since the 1980s.

'Tracy's leaving the Henry County Sheriff's Office will bring a large void to our deputy workforce and its experience,” Sheriff Rich McNamee said. 'Tracy was a vast amount of knowledge, not only about being a graceful officer but also his general knowledge of Henry County and the pieces and parts of it.”

Brooks joined the Henry County Sheriff's Office in 1986 as a reserve deputy and went on to become a full-time deputy in 1987. In 1997, he was promoted to Sergeant, and in 2013, Sheriff McNamee promoted him to Chief Deputy.

'It has been a wonderful experience working with Tracy,” McNamee said. 'We have worked together for my entire career, and he's taught me many things. He has been a great friend and colleague that I will miss tremendously.”

The community shared its support and appreciation for Brooks and his retirement on the Henry County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. Many were happy to thank Brooks for all of his hard work and dedication for the community.

'Tracy still is an incredible citizen of Henry County, and I'm sure he will continue to contribute to the community in many ways,” McNamee said.

As for the next chief deputy, McNamee has not decided who it will be.

'I have several great people internally that could fill the role in an instant,” he said. 'I want to take my time, though, ponder the possibilities, pray about it, and ultimately choose someone that can step into the role and be the leader that the last two chief deputies were.”