A native of West Virginia, 27-year-old W.B. Secrist was promoted in September from patrolman first class to corporal with the Manning Police Department.
“I’m in the patrol division, and answer calls for service, work on traffic enforcement and, recently, got onto the Drug Interdiction Team with another officer,” Secrist said.
Around town, Secrist is known for his crackdown of DUIs and narcotics.
“I have the record for DUI and drug arrests,” he said. “I have a passion for law enforcement. When I come to work, I’m excited to be here. It’s not just something I have to do. It’s what I want to do. And I don’t want to have to arrest anybody, but part of our job is to protect our citizens, and I feel like I’m protecting motorists on our public highways and roadways and I’m helping keep drugs off the street.”
A native of Fayette, W.Va., Secrist came to Manning in 2009 after serving as a police officer in his native state for two years. He joined law enforcement when he was just 19.
“I am the first one in my family in law enforcement,” he said. “It’s always been something I wanted to do. The opportunity came up when I was in college. My best friend got hired, and there was another opening. I did a ride-along and that was that.”
Secrist left the Manning Police Department in 2012 to try his hand at a private-sector job.
“But I came right back, because I missed it so much,” he said. “I had to get back in it.”
He also missed working for Chief Blair Shaffer.
“Out of anyone I’ve ever worked for, there’s nobody better,” Secrist said.
Secrist is married and has two children. He said he’d like to be lead narcotics investigator with the city someday.
“That’s my main goal,” he said.
