Public Service

Garland Byers has served the citizens of Rutherford County and surrounding areas in various capacities since 1988. He began his professional career as the first full-time Chief of Police for the Alexander Mills Police Department, which is now a part of the Town of Forest City. From there, he served as a police officer for the Rutherfordton Police Department, as a Deputy Sheriff for the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department, and as Chief Investigator for the District Attorney's Office, which was then District 29 covering five counties in Western North Carolina (Rutherford, McDowell, Polk, Henderson, and Transylvania). He later served as an Assistant District Attorney under two different elected District Attorneys in District 29A, which covers Rutherford and McDowell Counties. Additionally, he was appointed by the Rutherford County Republican Party Executive Committee to serve on the Rutherford County Board of Education. While serving as an Assistant District Attorney, Byers chaired the Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Team for Rutherford County and also served on the Child Fatality Team. 

​

His public service has often garnered media attention, some of which is published with permission on this site. Please click on a position to learn more and see the media coverage, and click on any article image to enlarge it. All articles are reproduced on this website with the express written permission of Paxton Media Group, LLC.