CULPEPER, Va. — Tim Chilton wasted no time moving into his new office at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day. The newly elected sheriff of Culpeper County says he wants to restore trust among the community, increase communication and reinvigorate a department recently shrouded in scandal.
Chilton won the November election against Scott Jenkins, a longtime and controversial sheriff questioned over how he operated his office for years.
Just months before the November election, the federal government indicted Jenkins on charges of bribery and conspiracy for allegedly accepting tens of thousands of dollars for badges under the auxiliary deputy program. The role meant certain sworn-in volunteers could carry a gun in all 50 states without a permit.
Chilton immediately suspended the program once he assumed the role. By his department’s count, there were 46 auxiliary deputies, although he admits it’s hard to count the exact amount of equipment they carried because not everyone had proper documentation.
“We’re sending them a certified letter to let them know that the position is no longer available and that they have to send their equipment,” Chilton said.
The letters are expected to be sent out this week.
Chilton said the transition process was smooth and cordial. He met Jenkins two hours before New Year’s Day to discuss the department, omitting any discussions about the indictments, according to Chilton.
WUSA9 reached out to Jenkins for comment but received no response.
Chilton took WUSA9 around the office as his team unpacked boxes, threw away trash and gathered surplus items including computers. He brought in four of his employees including a deputy chief with a legal background, a patrol captain, a professional standards captain, and a contractor with a nearly 40-year adult detention center career to help fix the jail.
He also terminated nine positions, six of which belonged to Jenkins’ family members, per Chilton.
“Those folks were tied directly to the sheriff by family,” he said. “There were a lot of issues if they really earned what they were making.”
The office currently has 122 employees with 20 vacant positions. Chilton said the community expected him to “clean house,” but he wanted to take a different approach.
“I think there are great people here,” he said. “Why on Earth would I want to get rid of the great people here?”
Among the priorities is to deploy body-worn cameras for the deputies, audit the budget and revamp the jail.