BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — There’s a new Martin County Sheriff’s deputy in town ready to tackle the drug problem in the community.

Chris Kidd, 37, of Pikeville, started work about two weeks ago for Martin County Sheriff John Kirk’s office.

“I noticed there is a terrible drug problem in Martin County,” Kidd said in an interview Monday. “That’s what we’re here for. We’re going to try to take drugs off the street and help all the kids and everybody that needs help.”

Originally from Floyd County, Kidd has 15 years in law enforcement, having worked for the Prestonsburg City Police and the Floyd County Sheriff’s departments. He graduated from the police academy in Richmond in 2009, then spent about 10 years employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the United States Penitentiary Big Sandy. He also graduated from the federal law enforcement academy in Glynco, Ga.

The new deputy likes his new job.

“It’s busy here, and that’s what I wanted,” said Kidd. “I wanted to get back out on the road, especially after the situation in Allen. I knew those guys personally; they were friends of mine. That’s kind of what drove me to want to get back out on the road and do good to help people. We’re just here to help everybody and to try to control the drug problem that we have here.”