UNION, W.Va. — Monroe County Sheriff-elect Sean Crosier believes he’s inherited a pretty good situation in his county.
Crosier, after 27 years as a Kanawha County sheriff’s deputy, will be sworn in as the new Monroe County sheriff next week. He’s been in Union this week learning the ropes from the outgoing sheriff Mike Gravely.
“I’m here now and the good sheriff has taken me under his wing,” said Crosier in an interview with MetroNews. “He’s helping me out with all of those things I wasn’t schooled in during my 27 years in Kanawha County.”
Crosier, a Monroe County native, comes to the job with a strong background in law enforcement, but admitted there was plenty to learn about the tax collecting side of the job. The sheriff in West Virginia serves not only as the county’s chief law enforcement officer, but also the county’s chief tax collector. As for the law enforcement duties, Crosier is already ready to roll with a plan.
“One of the very first issues we have are some drug issues in the southern part of the county,” he explained. “We’re going to aggressively tackle that and address it. Hopefully we’re able to let those people know they’re not welcome in Monroe County.”
Although the rural Monroe County is completely different than Charleston’s metropolitan areas, the task of public safety doesn’t change.
“Anywhere you have drug sales and drug abuse there’s going to be theft and some other crimes and even some violence associated with it,” he said. “Thank goodness here it’s only in pockets and isolated areas, but I think we’ll be able to help out there.”
Most incoming sheriffs in West Virginia are also facing a difficult budget with the downturn in the economy and the drop in coal severance tax revenue. Crosier said for the most part his county is in pretty solid shape.
“Our county commission has done a good job maintaining the budget,” he said. “There’s not a coal mine in Monroe County, but we do get coal severance money and just like every other county that has decreased severely, but so far we’re hanging on.”
Crosier will take the job on Jan 1.