Former Pocahontas Sheriffs Deputy Decertified

Ronceverte, WV – A former Pocahontas County Sheriffs deputy is one of five law enforcement officers to be decertified by the WV agency in charge of certification and decertification of police officers. The agency, a subcommittee of the Governors Committee on Crime, Delinquency and Corrections, has decertified more officers since the beginning of 2010 than they did in the previous 4 years.

One of those officers is former Pocahontas Deputy Rob Alkire, II. On November 30th, 2008, Alkire got into an argument with former girlfriend Jennifer Miller at her home in Marlinton. The argument continued into the street, where Alkire fired his service weapon. He was charged with wanton endangerment, and was controversially placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation and subsequent trial.

Alkire eventually agreed to a plea deal, part of which stipulated that he could not be a police officer in Pocahontas County for at least one year. He was hired by the town of Ronceverte shortly afterward.

Ronceverte Police Chief Michael L. Smith says he hired Alkire because he was the only certified officer to apply for the department position. Smith says that certification saved the city about 3500.00. Smith says he was aware of the plea deal in Pocahontas, but since Alkire pled guilty to a misdemeanor, that did not eliminate him from consideration.

As a result of the Decertification, Alkire no longer works as a police officer in Ronceverte.

Story By

Heather Niday

Heather is our Program Director and Traffic Manager. She started with Allegheny Mountain Radio as a volunteer deejay. She then joined the AMR staff in February of 2007. Heather grew up in the Richmond, Virginia, area and now lives in Arbovale, West Virginia with her husband Chuck. Heather is a wonderful flute player, and choir director for Arbovale UMC. You can hear Heather along with Chuck on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8pm as they host two hours of jazz on Something Different.

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