Augusta County Sheriff Candidate Neil Kester announced Thursday that a key upper management team member that will join the agency if Kester is elected as Augusta County sheriff on Nov. 3. Speaking before a small group of supporters, Kester introduced G. L. “Butch” Wells, former Staunton Police Chief and current supervisor for Augusta County, as a confirmed part of a Kester administration.
“Butch Wells brings enormous law enforcement experience and knowledge of county government to the table in helping to restructure and reorganize the Augusta County Sheriff’s Department (ACSD). Not only does his time with the Staunton Police Department and as Augusta County Supervisor make him an excellent management fit, but his expertise in establishing and maintaining a nationally accredited law enforcement agency while at the Staunton PD makes him a critical part of a Kester administration. We will bring accreditation back to the Augusta County Sheriff’s Department.”
In 1986, Wells took over the Staunton Police Department’s efforts to maintain a Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®) Accreditation status they first received in 1985. Wells was awarded the prestigious EgonBittner Award in 2004 for his command of a CALEA accredited agency for fifteen or more continuous years. In addition, under Wells and subsequent Chiefs, the Staunton Police Department has gone on to become one of a handful of law enforcement agencies in the country to maintain nearly three decades of continuous CALEA accreditation, according to a CALEA spokesperson.
Kester has made assembling a skilled team a major element of his campaign agenda. By bringing Butch Wells to his proposed administration, Kester states he is gathering leadership with the knowledge, experience and know-how to regain the confidence of the community, especially following recent investigations into missing evidence and withdrawal from the state accreditation process happening at the ACSD.
Wells adds: “I believe Neil Kester has the mix of experience, leadership qualities and administrative skills necessary to be a top-notch sheriff. Based on my time working with him at the Staunton Police Department and in other law enforcement and community situations, I know that Neil has what it takes to strengthen and build a results-oriented agency that effectively protects the safety and security of all Augusta County citizens. That’s why I stand with him in this endeavor.”
For more information visit www.kesterforsheriff.com.
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