Not everyone wakes up one morning and decides they want to be a cop. Steven Rayburn was raised in Immokalee, and after graduating from Immokalee High School, he went right to work in construction with his dad. There was never any inclination that law enforcement might be listed on his future resume.

At 20 years old, Rayburn got married and moved his new family to Lehigh. For years, he continued to work in construction. During this time, he and his wife raised three daughters. Eventually Rayburn obtained his general contractors license, and started his own company called Rayburn Construction, Inc. His business is still currently operating today, and specializes in home remodeling.

When the economy tanked, Rayburn found that construction work was becoming scarce. His neighbor, who happened to be employed by the Hendry County Sheriff’s Department, asked Rayburn to ride along with him in his patrol car and see what this type of career had to offer. After a few of these ‘ride-alongs’, Rayburn said “he got a taste for law enforcement.” He was ready to try his hand at a new line of work.

In 2011, Rayburn enrolled in the Southwest Florida Criminal Justice Academy and completed his certification in law enforcement. In July of 2012, Deputy Rayburn was hired by the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office to work road patrol.

Each day holds something different for Deputy Rayburn – it’s definitely not a cookie cutter career. While patrolling the roads, he responds to calls for criminal mischief, break-ins, domestic issues, thefts, accidents, and suspicious activities called in by local citizens. No two days are the same.

Deputy Rayburn thoroughly enjoys his job. Although he noted that not every day is pleasant due to some of the issues that have to be dealt with, he stated that “it’s nice when you can help someone or make a difference.” He feels he has the best sergeant to work for, and truly appreciates how well everyone gets along.

When he’s not working as a cop or with his construction company, Deputy Rayburn enjoys fishing, hanging out with his wife, kids and grandkids as well as going on the occasional cruise (sans children and grandchildren). He is also a member of Alva Baptist Church. A dedicated and hardworking man, Deputy Rayburn is a great asset to the Hendry County Sheriff’s Department.