About Our Sheriff

Sheriff Bill Overton

Sheriff Bill Overton was born and raised in Franklin County where he continues to reside with his wife Nancy, their adult children, and multiple grandchildren. He has been the Sheriff of Franklin County since 2012. His long and distinguished law enforcement career of 39 years has included work as a Patrol Deputy, a School Resource Officer, an Investigator, a member of Command Staff, and various other duties. He is currently a sitting member on the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority Board and the Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy Board. Sheriff holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, and has also completed the Virginia Forensic Science Academy.

Since his time in office, Sheriff Overton has strengthened the Office of the Sheriff in many ways. The department has been accredited through the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) since 2014 and is in the process of becoming nationally accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). He opened the Westlake Substation in 2014 to allow for additional assets to be allocated to the Westlake Area, with the higher population count, while preserving resources for all other districts. There have been many improvements in equipment for the deputies to promote officer safety, while staying on the cutting edge of technology advancements.

Sheriff has also developed programs that maximizes civilian involvement with office functions, such as the 12-week Citizen’s Academy, where residents receive an in depth look at every facet of what our office does, and the Citizens on Patrol program, which trains civilian graduates of the Citizen’s Academy to assist the Sheriff’s Office with tasks such as traffic control at events, funeral escorts, courtesy notes, vehicle unlocks, delivering of documents, patrolling schools and neighborhoods, and various other duties.

Through Sheriff Overton’s vision and direction, the Office of the Sheriff is a high-performing agency that strives to provide the best in public service to the residents and visitors of Franklin County.