Lead the Elkins Police Department

The City of Elkins is seeking an experienced law enforcement professional to serve as its next Chief of Police.

This is an opportunity to lead a small municipal police department while remaining close to the work. The Elkins police chief divides time between department leadership and field service, combining responsibility for personnel, budgeting, planning, and operations with active involvement in police work, investigations, community issues, special events, and emergency response.

Salary: $60,000–$74,000

City benefits include employer-paid health insurance, basic life insurance, an employer-paid Health Savings Account (HSA), and generous vacation, sick, and personal leave. More information.

Lead a Department Where the Chief Stays Close to the Work

The Elkins Police Department consists of the chief, 14 sworn law enforcement officers, a communicator, and a parking/animal control officer. The department also includes a K-9 unit.

The size of the department gives its chief an opportunity to work closely with officers and have a direct role in the department’s operations, culture, and future direction.

The chief leads personnel, develops budgets, sets department goals, and plans operations, but this is not a purely administrative position. The chief also performs police functions and remains involved in investigations, community issues, special events, and emergency response.

Work Across Agencies and Across the Community

Police work in Elkins also provides opportunities for extensive collaboration.

The department works with local, county, state, and federal partners and on regional issues including substance use, homelessness, and mental health. The chief works with other law enforcement agencies, city departments, civic organizations, businesses, and residents to address community problems and public safety needs.

Elkins also presents policing experiences unusual for a community of its size. Each fall, the Mountain State Forest Festival brings thousands of visitors to the city, requiring extensive coordination among law enforcement, emergency services, city departments, and other agencies.

Work in Elkins. Live in the Mountains.

Elkins is a small city and regional center in the mountains of eastern West Virginia. The community is home to Davis & Elkins College and the headquarters of the Monongahela National Forest.

The surrounding area provides ready access to hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, skiing, whitewater, and other outdoor recreation. The Allegheny Highlands Trail begins in downtown Elkins, and national forest lands, state parks, and some of West Virginia’s best-known mountain destinations are within an easy drive.

The position offers an opportunity to lead a municipal police department while living and working in the heart of the West Virginia mountains.

Qualifications

Applicants must have at least eight years of combined operational and administrative experience in a related position. A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience, is required.

Applicants must be certified West Virginia law enforcement officers and possess a valid state driver’s license.

The position is full-time and salaried and requires the flexibility to work irregular and on-call hours, including weekends and holidays.

Salary: $60,000–$74,000
Status: Full-time, salaried
Application period: Open until filled

[View the full job description and apply]

The City of Elkins is an equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veteran status.