Trenton Police Dapartment

William F. Sanders, a 32 year veteran of the Trenton, Tennessee Police Department was sworn in as a patrol officer on August 1^st, 1976 at the age of 19.  He was appointed the city’s third Chief of Police in October 1998. 

In this capacity, he is responsible for the overall budget, development and dissemination of police directives to the Department, coordination of training regimens, and the fostering of communication among the various facets of the police agency.

Chief Sanders rapidly rose through the ranks of the police department, beginning with a promotion to the rank of patrol sergeant in 1978.  His career progressed with a promotion to detective sergeant in 1979.  He attended the 140^th session of the FBI National Academy in 1985.  In 1988 he was promoted to the position of Assistant Chief.

He played an integral part in the City of Trenton and its police department becoming recognized as an official “Weed and Seed” site in 2002.  In 2003 the city became the smallest city in the U. S. of those cities receiving funding through the Executive Office of Weed and Seed, which is now known as the Community Capacity Development Office.  The city received funding 4 consecutive years under Sanders leadership.

 “Weed and Seed”, a community-based strategy sponsored by the U. S. Department of Justice, is an innovative, comprehensive multi-agency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention and community revitalization.

Chief Sanders is a strong advocacy of training, professionalism and community policing.  He believes in addressing quality of life matters to make a positive difference in the lives of people the police serve. 

Under his direction the department has progressed well into the 21^st century.  He has played a major role in receiving over 1.5 million dollars in grant monies.  The department has received funding from the Department of Justice “Cops Grant” and the DOJ “Weed and Seed Initiative.  Additional grants include a Domestic Violence grant, the Governor’s Highway Safety grant and Local Law Enforcement Block grants.

This funding has enabled Chief Sanders to hire additional officers, initiate a “Take Home Car” policy and provide firearms to the officers.  Additional funding has provided In-Car Video cameras, allowed the improvement of computer technology within the department and the purchase of an automatic live scan fingerprint machine.

Chief Sanders is an active member of the community through his participation with various organizations such as the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Association and the Masonic Lodge.

He is involved with several professional organizations, such as the Tennessee Associations of Chief’s of Police and the FBI National Academy Associates.

Chief Sanders was elected Gibson County‘s Fraternal Order of Police “Officer of the Year” in 1983.  He received the Dyersburg State Community College “Outstanding Achievement award in Justices Services in 1985.  

Sanders is a graduate of Dyer High School and attended Dyersburg State Community College and the University of Virginia.  

In his spare time he enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as fishing.

He and his wife Darla have been married 33 years.  They are active members in the First Presbyterian Church in Trenton.   They have two children Sabrina and Chad.