FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WOAY) – Jess McMullen has been sworn in as the new Fayette County Sheriff after a storied career in law enforcement spanning two decades with many specialized assignments.
It’s important to the Fayette County native to continue serving and protecting his home county and state.
“It means the world to me; something I’ve always strived to do,” McMullen said. “I’ve been in public service my whole life. I was in the military and law enforcement for 20-some years. I retired from the sheriff’s department so I could run for office.”
Over the last few months, McMullen was back as the chief deputy and got his feet wet for the sheriff’s position. He says he learned a lot and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
“I love this place. I’ve been all over the country, but there’s no place like Fayette County, West Virginia,” the sheriff said. “It just makes me proud to know that at least for four more years I can serve these people that I love, in this area that I love and care so much about.”
According to McMullen, as the sheriff you are responsible for not just law enforcement, but the tax department and much more.
“It’s been an adventure learning, and I’m going to continue to learn,” he said. “I want to get out and see the people that supported me, thank them, and show them I’m gonna be here for them for whatever they may need.”
The new sheriff takes office on January 1, 2025, and says not much needs changing except attrition. The department lost a lot of staff over the past few years, which hurts them financially plus it hurts the public.
“We’re taking people off the road and we have to hire somebody that has to be trained before we can put them out there to work,” said McMullen. “So we want to work on keeping the guys and girls we got now. They seem to be really excited. I’m excited and think we’ll be just fine moving forward.”
