Sheriff Chuck Phillips appointed Rocky Harnen as Chief Deputy for the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in March 2012. Harnen began his law enforcement career in 1982 as a police officer and later a Vice & Narcotics Investigator for the Anniston, AL Police Department. In 1986 Harnen was commissioned as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) where he worked in the Los Angeles, CA., Riverside, CA., Birmingham, AL., and Huntsville, AL DEA Office's. Harnen attended both the Northeast Alabama Law Enforcement Academy and the DEA Basic Agent Academy in Quantico, VA.

Chief Harnen is a graduate of Scottsboro High School and Jacksonville State University, where he received a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Chief Harnen has attended over 1,000 hours of advanced training classes and is a Certified Firearms Instructor, Tactical Instructor, Clandestine Laboratory Investigations Instructor, and a Basic Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Chief Harnen is a member of several committees in Jackson County and serves on the Advisory Board for the Jackson County Drug Court and the Northeast Alabama Community College Law Enforcement School. Chief Harnen is the Vice President of the Alabama Narcotic Officer's Association.

"The motto of law enforcement is to protect and serve. We seem to do a pretty good job at the protection part but we sometimes forget about the serve part. It is our goal to serve all citizens of Jackson County to the best of our ability as well as to protect them."

"I also think our children are the most valuable assets we have in this county. If we can get them on the right track at an early age, they have a better chance to be a productive citizen."

Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen