Photo courtesy of the Vestavia Hills Historical Society
Chief W. O. Haynes, front, stands with Vestavia Hills police officers Sam King, Bill Breneman and M. C. Bottom in 1960 as the city’s force expanded to four full-time members. Photo from 1950–1960, Ten Years of Progress, Vestavia Hills, Alabama, courtesy of the Vestavia Hills Historical Society.
In 1960, Vestavia Hills marked a milestone in public safety as its police department grew from a one-man operation into a full-time, four-officer corps. Tasked with round-the-clock protection, the department symbolized the city’s progress and commitment to its residents just a decade after incorporation.
Led by Chief W. O. Haynes — a veteran with more than 30 years in law enforcement — the team patrolled in two new Ford police cars and a motorcycle, each equipped with radios tied to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department’s network. Officers Sam King, Bill Breneman and M. C. Bottom stood alongside Haynes in a now-historic photo, lined up proudly in front of their patrol vehicles outside headquarters.
According to research by the Vestavia Hills Historical Society, Vestavia Hills had at that time recorded only two major crimes since incorporation, with no traffic fatalities — a point of civic pride often credited to the department’s efficiency and organization. Councilman Henry S. McReynolds chaired the city’s public safety committee, helping to establish the strong foundation on which the department would continue to grow.
