Shawn Nowlin, shawn.nowlin@ourvalley.org
The qualifications to become Salem Sheriff are intricate, demanding and require a great deal of composure. Along with serving as the chief civilian law enforcement officer of the jurisdiction, the City Sheriff also enforces court mandates and orders, serves warrants and legal papers as well as seize property and assets pursuant to court orders, among many other responsibilities.
With Election Day being less than two weeks away, the Salem community will bestow that authority to either incumbent April Staton, Richard Goodman or Chris Shelor. The Salem Times Register ran an article on candidates Staton and Goodman in January and July, respectively.
Born and raised in Salem, Shelor graduated from Salem High in 2000. Four years later, he began his law enforcement career after accepting a position at the Salem Sheriff’s Office. Over the years he rose through the ranks and today, he serves as a detective for the police department.
The men and women of the Salem Police Department annually select the “best of the best” from within their own ranks. In 2015, Goodman was named the Salem Police Officer of the Year.
Six years ago, Shelor, a Senior Police Officer at the time, was on-duty mentoring a trainee officer when they were summoned to the West Main Street Walmart regarding a robbery and assault. Through witness interviews, Shelor was able to provide valuable information related to the appearances of the suspects and their vehicles which ultimately led to their arrest.
At the candidate forum hosted by the Kiwanis Club two weeks ago, the public got to see exactly where Shelor, a Republican, stood on a variety of issues.
“Every time that a deputy or officer is sent to handle a situation, you are leading by example. You set the standards for your superiors. I was a leader with the Salem Sheriff’s Office when I was there. I was given the rank of Master Deputy that I achieved and earned. I also assisted with field training for the younger deputies,” Shelor said.
He added, “legalizing marijuana has generated revenue for the city. It’s keeping less people out of the physical courtroom, and basically allowing them to either pre-pay or go to the clerk’s office. Housing evictions are big because you are taking somebody’s home. Although they haven’t lived up to their standards as far as the agreement to paying the debt, the tenants and the actual owners of the property must have some type of agreement.”
More interaction between deputies and the community is something that Shelor would like to see more of. He also adamantly believes that Salem deputies should be dual certified not just for court and jail, but for enforcement on the streets too. More information about Chris can be found at shelor4sheriff.com.
