Jefferson County sheriff files for re-election

Robert E. "Bobby" Shirley says support of many county residents encouraged him to run again

January 31, 2012

Shirley

CHARLES TOWN. W.Va. — Editor’s note: This is another in a series of Eastern Panhandle candidate previews that The Herald-Mail will be running over the next several months. The announcements also will be posted on our website, www.herald-mail.com, through the West Virginia primary on May 8. To submit announcements, email them and a color photo (preferably a jpeg) to billk@herald-mail.com or matthew.umstead@herald-mail.com. Any questions? Call 301-791-7281.

Jefferson County Sheriff Robert E. “Bobby” Shirley has filed for second four-year term.

Shirley’s first step on his way to re-election will be to beat former two-term Sheriff Everett “Ed” Boober in the May 8 Democratic primary. He succeeded Boober in 2008.

Shirley, 60, of Hidden Hollow Drive, Kearneysville, W.Va., retired as a lieutenant from the sheriff’s department in 2006 after 25 years of service. For the next 2 1/2 years he was the lead supervisor of security at the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Training Center in Harpers Ferry, W.Va.

The sheriff’s department has 25 deputies in the law-enforcement division, plus circuit court bailiffs and animal-control officers. Another eight deputies work in the department’s tax office.

Shirley said he spends 80 percent of his time in the law-enforcement division.

Shirley makes $44,800 a year in salary plus 15 percent commission on any delinquent taxes the office collects.

“I’m running on the same merits that I ran on 2008: to serve the people of Jefferson County,” Shirley said.

He said he has been encouraged to seek a second term because of the support of many county residents.

“Hundreds of people have asked me if I’m running again,” he said. “That tells me that I have their support because they think I’ve been doing a good job, that they trust and believe in me.”

Shirley said that in the last three years he has restructured the department. He sends deputies regularly to specialized training classes and works at making the department proactive when it comes to criminal matters.

He holds monthly meetings during which the public can air any complaints or problems.

“It works as a bridge between law enforcement and the people. I keep an open-door policy,” he said.

Shirley is a member of the state Attorney General’s Advisory Commission, the Isaac Walton League, Middleway Methodist Church and the Masons.

He and his wife, Elaine, have three grown sons.

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