(Yanceyville, N.C.) – Caswell County has a new sheriff.
The Board of Commissioners voted this week to fill the vacancy in-house, naming Major Tony Durden to fill the unexpired term of Sheriff Michael Welch.
Durden will assume his new job on August 1, when Welch retires.
Durden is a 20-year veteran of the department and has risen through the ranks to his current position as second-in-command. He joined the Caswell Sheriff’s office in 1997.
He is a graduate of Piedmont Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Durden received his Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate in April 2014.
Welch announced his retirement in a letter last month, telling the commissioners that after 30 years in law enforcement, he wanted to step down to spend more time with his family.