Meet the Candidate: Jim Canaday for Raleigh County Sheriff

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your experience/accomplishments

I grew up in MacArthur and attended Woodrow Wilson High School where I graduated in 1989. I am a 1993 graduate of Concord University where I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Interpersonal/Organizational Communication and a 2013 graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Law Enforcement and Crime Prevention. I have been a life-long member of Crab Orchard Baptist Church where I currently serve as Moderator and Coordinator of Church Security. I am also a member of the Beckley Masonic Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police Black Diamond Lodge, Raleigh County Deputy Sheriff’s Association (Past President), West Virginia Sheriff’s Association Board of Directors, Raleigh County Day Report Center Board of Directors, the Hollywood Elementary Local School Improvement Council, and the Beckley/Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in an ex-officio capacity.

My wife Kristi and I have been together since 1990. We were married in 1996 and have 2 children, Brandon and Allyson. Kristi and I were both raised here, attended Woodrow Wilson High School and Concord University together, and came back to Raleigh County to raise our children close to our families.

I have been with the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office since 2000, and during that time I have had to opportunity to work road patrol, the detective bureau, Sheriff’s Office drug unit, current Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, as well as our Special Response team. I received training in advanced interview techniques, hostage negotiations, beginning and advanced narcotics investigation, and SWAT operations. Later in my career I was appointed Chief Detective, a position I held until Scott Van Meter was elected Sheriff in 2016 and he appointed me Chief Deputy. In 2022, I applied for the position of Sheriff when Sheriff Van Meter was elected to the County Clerk position. I was selected to fulfill his unexpired term.

What motivated you to run for sheriff, or if you are an incumbent, what motivated you to seek reelection?

There were several motivating factors in my decision to run for Sheriff. The first is the fact that when I took over law enforcement operations in 2017, the Department was in need of a change in culture and vision. I began working with command staff to push authority downward to empower others in the rank structure to make decisions. Having decision making capacity throughout the department as opposed to solely at the top is not only healthier, but also more efficient. Doing this immediately established a rank structure and allowed us to begin using rank and pay as a way to retain qualified Deputies. I worked with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association to improve the pay structure and worked with the County Commission to implement it. I also believed that we had a great opportunity to begin working with the County Commission to increase pay for Deputies to attract qualified personnel.

The second reason is that my family lives in Raleigh County, and this is where I was raised and we raise our children. In order to provide an economically advantageous environment for my children and others, we as a County have to be attractive to employers who might want to come here. As the incumbent and candidate with experience being Sheriff, I believe the Sheriff leading the policy decisions and setting the vision for the Department can play in important role in supporting economic development. After conversations with my wife and family, I believed then and now that my unique combination of law enforcement and business experience make me the most qualified candidate to continue to move Raleigh County forward.

⁃ What are some issues facing Raleigh County currently that you would like to see addressed and fixed? How would you fix those issues?

One issue that always stands out is the issue of drugs and drug-related criminality. While it is a campaign “hot topic” and in the forefront of campaign seasons, the reality is this is an issue that law enforcement deals with on a daily basis. A lot of candidates seeking office will portray drug issues pessimistically, and try to provide a platform for their “solution”. Many incumbent candidates will portray this issue optimistically, with the thought that this might help a campaign. I prefer to be realistic, providing some information so people can form their own conclusions. It is not a matter of law enforcement refusing to address drug related criminality, or not knowing how to address it; it is more a fact that the sheer scope of the drug trade is massive nationally. That affects us here in Raleigh County, and one thing I have learned from my time as a narcotics officer is that law enforcement approaches have to be constantly evolving because drug criminality is constantly evolving.

When I first began working as a narcotics detective, the Oxycontin epidemic was gaining momentum. We had to change tactics from simply arresting the end user to going after the supplier. In many cases the suppliers were doctors and pharmacies, and sometimes pills were coming from out of the country via mail order. We still dealt with the local dealers, but cases began to be built against the supplier. These cases were more time consuming and complicated, but the fact that the pill epidemic is no longer talked about is a testament to the effectiveness of this strategy. Applying this strategy to the current situation, drug units work cases locally while simultaneously tracking (through various investigative methods) the drugs up the supply chain. This often leads to large, complex federal cases crossing state lines directly to gangs or other bad actors several states away.

An example with actual statistics provided by the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug Task Force in combination with the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office would be that over the last calendar year, the two agencies combined seized approximately 14 lbs. of methamphetamine and approximately 12 lbs. of fentanyl. Considering each dose is .1grams, that amounts to approximately 30,000-60,000 doses respectively that have been prevented. Similarly, we collectively seized approximately $720,000 in drugs and cash which is certain to have had an impact on the supply chain. The “fix” for this issue, like for the pill epidemic before, begins with understanding what the problem is and what actions are effective. This allows for not only an application of effective tactics to combat it currently, but the ability to change to more effective tactics when necessary.
A second issue is a resource issue. The resource referred to is not solely monetary, but our most valuable resource at the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office is our people. Every part of the Sheriff’s Office mission and vision is directly related to the men and women who are a part of it.

Without people, there is no Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office or any other agency. Law enforcement nationwide is in a recruiting and retention crisis, so investment in our people is not only right, it is mission critical. Since I took over as Chief Deputy in 2017, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office has developed a relationship of trust and understanding with the Raleigh County Commission. Because of this relationship, we have been better positioned to attract and retain qualified people. Our starting pay for Deputies has increased over $20,000, provided sign-on bonuses for prior West Virginia certified law enforcement officers, and we have increased pay for our civilian staff. We have been able to provide a state-of-the-art law enforcement headquarters that allows our people to be more efficient, gives them equipment to maintain fitness, and provides various quality amenities that aid in recruitment as well. The Deputies in Raleigh County are among the best trained and equipped in the state, and can perform their duties as safely as possible. Finally, I worked with the Raleigh County Deputy Sheriff’s Association to implement a pay structure for promotions that was fair and equitable to all parties, which encourages our most experienced Deputies to stay with us. The “fix” for this issue, again is found in identifying the problem and taking steps currently being taken to address it.

A third issue is one not typically discussed by candidates for offices in the criminal justice system and that is the issue of economics. The question could be asked regarding the relevance of economics to law enforcement, but the answer to that question would be that law enforcement is extremely important to the discussion of economics. Having legitimate, professional, and engaged law enforcement is critical to infrastructure as evidenced in areas where the “defund the police” movements and lack of support for law enforcement have led to business closures and economic depression. As Sheriff, a large portion of my law enforcement duties is working with command staff in setting and implementing vision and policy for the Sheriff’s Office. Having an understanding of how the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office plays a role in economic development as well as business attraction and retention helps shape policy that is beneficial to the County. The fix for this problem is found by having a Sheriff with both strong law enforcement and business backgrounds that has the ability to see the necessary relationship between law enforcement and economic stability.

What makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates, what do you bring to the table that they don’t?

I believe the combination of my qualifications, education and experience are unique and make me the most qualified candidate for Raleigh County Sheriff. Specifically, and with respect to the law enforcement duties of the Office, I have been a Deputy Sheriff. This is important because I understand the culture and capabilities of the Sheriff’s Office. I have worked Road Patrol. I have been a Detective where the majority of the cases I worked were violent crime cases. I have actual trial experience as the lead investigator on crimes ranging from sexual assaults to homicides and armed robberies. I am the only candidate who has been assigned to work in a drug task force and who has years of experience investigating drug cases and specialized narcotics training to draw upon. I have worked as a tactical operator, and later team leader, of the Special Response Team so I have experience in making tactical decisions and formulating critical tactical plans. I have been the Chief Detective where my responsibilities went from working on investigations to consulting and supervising all major investigations. I have been the Chief Deputy where I oversaw the entirety of the law enforcement operations of the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office. Finally, I am the only candidate with actual experience being Sheriff. The familiarity with the department and the supervision experience gained from the leadership positions I have held have been critical to my duties as Sheriff and the trust of the department in this position. Additionally, I earned a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice which provides valuable insight to current policing trends and policy decision making.

With respect to the administrative duties, one of the most important functions of the Sheriff is being Treasurer of Raleigh County. I am responsible for the safekeeping of tax payer funds. I believe it is critical that I maintain those funds in a manner that is safe and advantageous for the County. In doing so, I stay informed of current interest rate trends and negotiate rates and terms with banks which keep funds safe, accessible, and positioned to earn competitive interest rates. I have a background in business and finance, holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Concord University and years of financial services experience where I learned how to create and protect assets and communicate effectively with financial institutions. Additional administrative duties include acting as Financial Conservator for certain protected persons and as the Executor of certain estates. These duties require specific knowledge of the processes associated with them, which takes considerable time to acquire.

I believe this combination of education, qualification, and experience clearly separates me from other candidates and appeals to a range of voters who may value one over the other as I can speak to all of them.

Is there anything else voters should know about you and your campaign?

My reason for seeking the office of Raleigh County Sheriff is the result of the fact that I was raised in Raleigh County, my family is here, and we live here. I know the problems Raleigh County faces, and I know the capabilities of the Sheriff’s Office to address them. I believe I am the most qualified candidate to lead the Sheriff’s Office to do so. I am also aware of where the Sheriff’s Office was with regard to reputation and resources when I started, and I have seen how far we have come. I am proud to have played a part of that, but I also see so much potential for where we can go. A large part of my campaign is portraying that vision to voters and asking them to help us realize that. I have never viewed myself as running “against” anyone, but more running “for” that vision of the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office and our collective commitment to Raleigh County.

I have viewed this campaign as a job interview, and like in any interview references are important. The references I provide are not just random people who like me, but people and organizations familiar with the duties and responsibilities of Sheriff and my capacity to perform them. My endorsements include: the WV Sheriff’s Association, the WV Deputy Sheriff’s Association, and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 81. Endorsements from individuals I have worked with in a professional capacity include Raleigh County Commission President Dave Tolliver, Former Sheriff Danny Moore, Former Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Keller, and current Delegate Chris Toney.

These individuals trust and support my work. I would appreciate the continued trust and support of the voters in Raleigh County.