Newly named Chief Deputy Victor Lupis, left, goes over paperwork with Jefferson County Sheriff Tom Hansen. Toni Milbourne

CHARLES TOWN — Lt. Victor Lupis has been tapped by Jefferson County Sheriff Tom Hansen to step into the role of chief deputy for the department.

Lupis, a 19-year veteran of the department, now serves as the top assistant to the sheriff in leading the 34-officer department.

“Chief Deputy Lupis is already doing an exemplary job,” Hansen said in a recent interview. “In every phase, he is the consummate chief deputy.”

Lupis, who grew up in Berkeley County, began his career with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department in 2002 when he joined the force as a patrolman. After graduating the West Virginia Police Academy, Lupis continued to serve, working his way up the ladder to sergeant and then to lieutenant. He ultimately was in charge of investigations for the department before stepping into the chief deputy role.

“I always wanted to be a police officer,” Lupis shared, saying that he knew officers through the community growing up and always had the utmost respect for them. “I realized that’s what I wanted to do.”

Lupis explained his position as chief deputy involves a bit more of the operations side of the job, with a larger portion of administrative work. However, that does not mean he will not join his officers in the field.

“I believe you have to get out in the trenches with your men and women to help them out,” Lupis said.

Hansen echoed the idea of serving alongside the officers in the department, sharing that Lupis had recently served an entire shift when other officers were out due to COVID-19 issues.

Lupis expressed that while he was familiar with the chief deputy position, it is a challenge to take on the role. The fact that he served in the department for so many years is helping him meet that challenge.

“Knowing how (the deputies) work and what they are doing is a positive for me,” Lupis said.

The biggest challenges so far, he explained, have been making sure that the public is receiving top-notch service from the department and ensuring that the deputies are happy and morale is on the upswing.

“He keeps his eye on the mission,” Hansen said of Lupis.

The two explained that there are goals for the department, the first being the improvement of the morale and moving forward in a more responsive manner to the needs of the county’s citizens.

“We are no longer a responding agency,” Hansen said. “We are a patrolling agency.”

“We are getting there — that’s our mission,” Lupis agreed. “These men and women put their lives on the line to make it better for everyone who lives in the county.”

The two leaders of the department stressed that they want to ensure that the deputies who serve Jefferson County have pride in their department and believe that they work for the best West Virginia has to offer.

“We have become a good team, as we are working to change procedures and change attitudes,” Hansen said.