By Matt de Simone
Botetourt County’s departments consist of hardworking, driven, and accomplished employees who continue to make Botetourt a wonderful place to live.
Captain Jeff Boone began his law enforcement career with Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office in 1999. Boone grew up in Roanoke County, graduating from Cave Spring High School. From there, Boone enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.
“I wanted to work in law enforcement or some type of service profession, but when I went into the Marine Corps, I had the intent of making a career out of that,” Boone said in a recent interview. “Then, of course, life happens. You meet your wife and decide you want to have kids and all of that stuff. I met my wife, Shannon, while she was stationed in Norfolk in 1989. In 1990, we got married and have been together ever since.”
Boone and his wife lived in Norfolk for a spell but then moved to Hawaii. Jeff was stationed at Kane’hoe Marine Corps Air Station while Shannon was at Pearl Harbor. They moved back to Virginia in 1994, where Boone began his career in law enforcement. Jeff and Shannon have two children, Alex and Lindsay. The Boones currently reside in Cloverdale. When Boone’s off-duty, he enjoys cycling, hunting, fishing, hiking—anything related to the outdoors.
Boone started his career with the Town of Vinton Police Department in 1995. He arrived at the Botetourt Sheriff’s Office in 1999. For over 20 years, Boone worked as a member of Botetourt’s law enforcement, immediately participating in Botetourt’s emergency response team (ERT), which is the equivalent of a SWAT team. He worked up through Team Leader and then eventually became Team Commander.
Boone recently stepped down from his position as the ERT’s Team Commander while assuming the job of chief deputy. As chief deputy, Captain Boone essentially acts as the sheriff’s second-in-command overseeing the jail and the law enforcement division. Boone will become a major with the department on July 1.
“At the time I came to Botetourt in 1999, this was the go-to place,” Boone recalled. “I took the job in Vinton coming out of the Marine Corps, got my foot in the door, and got certified as a Virginia law enforcement officer, knowing that I eventually wanted to come to Botetourt. That’s the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office’s reputation then, and I think it still holds. A lot of people want to come to work here.
“I lived at Botetourt at the time. I lived in Blue Ridge when I worked in Vinton and got to know some of the Botetourt deputies. I always wanted to live where I worked, and I knew I didn’t want to live in Roanoke County because that’s where I grew up. When I started living in Botetourt in 1996, I knew this was where I wanted to raise my kids and where I wanted to work.
“I never looked back. Once people come to Botetourt, they generally don’t leave. They love Botetourt County for sure.”
For more information about the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office, visit http://www.botetourtsheriff.com/.