Just in time for the new school year, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office has established a substation on the West Liberty University campus.
“We welcome Sheriff Tom Howard and his deputies to campus and are pleased to have the new substation operational. It adds even more strength to our reputation as one of the safest campuses in the region,” said President Stephen Greiner after finalizing the arrangement.
Move-in weekend for students is fast approaching and takes place Aug. 24-26. Classes start at the Highlands Center on Aug. 25 and on the main campus on Aug. 27.
The substation is located along Faculty Drive in the WLU Annex building.
“This new partnership is a big asset for us working in the campus police office daily and adds another level of safety to campus life for our students and staff,” said WLU Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety Joseph Montemurro.
The substation is a fully operational office, where officers can perform interviews and complete arrests. It also offers office space with Wi-Fi for deputies needing to complete paperwork and documents.
“We will utilize the space when conducting business in that part of the county, and we are grateful to have it. Our other substation is located at The Highlands Shopping Complex, and it saves our deputies a lot of travel time” said Sheriff Howard.
Both Sheriff Howard and his Chief Deputy John Schultz are graduates of WLU, and Chief Schultz also has two children attending WLU at the current time.
“We are pleased to be part of this new initiative and look forward to being present on WLU’s campus this fall,” Howard said.
WLU employs six full-time officers and 11 part-time officers in its Campus Police Department.
Dedicated to providing excellence in service to the campus community, the police provide 24-hour-a-day patrol to the grounds, parking lots, residence halls, academic buildings and the faculty housing area. The police office is located in the lower level of Shaw Hall or may be reached by calling 304-336-8021.