Opening of sheriff’s substation will mean faster response times for western Raleigh County

GLEN DANIEL, W.Va. — Residents of Raleigh County who live west of Beckley now have better access to law enforcement personnel and services, following the official opening of the sheriff’s department satellite office in Glen Daniel Thursday.

Raleigh County Sheriff Scott Van Meter, County Commission President David Tolliver, County Assessor Linda Sumner, and several members of the state legislature attended the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new facility, which will include county tax and assessor’s office services, beginning in June.

Tolliver said the purchase and renovation of the building was well worth the investment and long overdue for residents of Glen Daniel, Arnett, and other nearby communities along State Route 3.

“The building itself cost around $90,000, and we put in twice that to renovate it,” he said. “With the assessor’s office, the tax department office, this is a completely secured building. The windows in there are bullet-proof. So, we spent a lot of money making sure that this building is secure.”

David Tolliver

Though the sheriff’s office in Beckley is less than 15 miles from Glen Daniel, topography and road configurations often have resulted in response times of 40 minutes or longer for western Raleigh County residents. Tolliver said he’s pleased the recent addition of Jan-Care ambulance services in nearby Arnett, along with the opening of the sheriff’s substation, will provide an additional measure of public protection and emergency services for the region.

In 2018, the West Virginia State Police office in northwestern Raleigh County was moved to Boone County, leaving residents without police protection in the immediate area. Van Meter told MetroNews he foresees an expansion of his department’s presence at the Glen Daniel location, over the next several months.

Scott Van Meter

“We’re hoping to get, eventually, like Beckley and have someone there 24/7,” he said. “We’re going to station a guy there (for) the day and evening shift. Of course, he’s not going to sit in that office the whole time. He’s going to be on the road, and that’s why I’d really like to get a secretary hired.”

In addition to quicker response times, Van Meter said the presence of staff in Glen Daniel also will alleviate some of the difficulty encountered by local residents who may need to meet with law enforcement officers for advice regarding non-emergency situations.

“If someone wants to talk to a police officer — and they don’t want to talk on the phone — instead of having to go clear to Beckley, they can come here, if it’s a personal matter or something like that.” said Van Meter.

The Glen Daniel substation will not be shared by state police or by other law enforcement agencies.

Linda Sumner

Beginning June 5, assessment services will be available at the location on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Tax department services will be available the third Wednesday of each month. Sumner told MetroNews any tax-related functions normally conducted at the Raleigh County Courthouse will be identically available at the Glen Daniel site.

“It’s full service, as far as we can pull up all the information, go over anything with you, assist you with any forms for real estate, personal property, the whole list. So, anyone who wants to comes to this satellite office, we’re happy to provide service,” she said.

The substation is located at 106 2nd Street. The building and surrounding lot were purchased by the county in 2018.