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As we celebrate Black Legacy Month, please join us in congratulating Detective Tawny Jones on her achievement as the first African American female detective in the history of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
Detective Jones began her law enforcement career at the Sheriff’s Office in 2001 as a deputy. After four years of service, she transferred to the Asheville Police Department for two years before transitioning to the private sector where she worked for the S.C. Department of Social Services as a paralegal and then as a child support enforcement agent. She also worked as an offender supervision specialist for S.C. Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.
In 2019 she returned to the Sheriff’s Office and was promoted to detective in May 2021. She currently serves in the Major Case Division as a fraud detective.
Detective Jones is extremely proud to serve in this role and has hopes that she is setting a positive example for more minorities to seek positions in law enforcement. Jones stated, “I love what I do. I am the result of being afforded the opportunity to do what I am capable of doing, the hard work that I have invested in my career, my perseverance and my determination to succeed.” Jones continued, “Remember every ‘No’ is not a negative, it’s the drive to work harder, never stop learning and never give up. Only you can decide the path you take in life and the color of your skin does not define that.”
Prior to her career in law enforcement, Jones was raised in the city of Asheville and graduated from Asheville City Schools. She also holds an Associates degree in criminal justice, paralegal certification from Spartanburg Methodist College, is a certified juvenile arbitrator, and certified guardian ad litem.
Tawny and her husband of twelve years, Arnold, have 4 children and 3 grandchildren.