CLEARFIELD – Voters elected Wesley B. Thurston, the Republican candidate, as the new Clearfield County Sheriff during Tuesday’s Municipal Election. He will inherit the badge that’s long been worn by Chester A. Hawkins, who announced earlier this year he wouldn’t seek re-election after 36 years of service.
Thurston is from Frenchville in Covington Township, Clearfield County. Thurston received 8,402 votes, or 59.11 percent, while Democratic candidate and former Clearfield Borough Police Chief Jeffrey L. Rhone received 5,787 votes, or 40.71 percent, according to the county Election Central Web site.
For Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts, Republican candidate Brian K. Spencer (7,035 votes, 50.16 percent) edged Democratic candidate Jacki Kendrick (6,981 votes, 49.77 percent). In the race for Controller, Republican candidate Antonio Scotto was re-elected after receiving 9,097 votes, or 65.72 percent; Scotto’s opponent, Democratic candidate Rodger Bumgardner, received 4,735 votes, or 34.21 percent.
Clearfield County has 51,138 registered voters, and 15,065 ballots were cast, or 29.46 percent, on Tuesday. All results are unofficial until certified by the Clearfield County Board of Elections. Absentee ballots are included. For complete Municipal Election results for Clearfield County, please visit Election Central here.
So far as the new sheriff, Thurston started his law enforcement career with the Bradford City Police Department in 1977 and served as patrolman there for seven years. He received his municipal police training at the Pennsylvania State Police Northwest Training Center in Meadville. During his tenure with Bradford City police, he was a part-time officer with campus security at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Thurston also served as a special deputy to the McKean County Sheriff.
He entered the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in February of 1984 and graduated in June that same year with high scholastic honors. He received the American Legion Award for the Outstanding Cadet. He was first assigned as a patrol trooper at Corry, Warren, Clearfield and Kane and provided traffic law enforcement, response to calls for assistance, investigation of vehicle accidents and investigation of criminal incidents.
In 1989, Thurston was assigned as a criminal investigator at the Clearfield station. He investigated and filed charges for crimes, including criminal homicide, robbery, rape, aggravated assault, the sexual assault of children and numerous other offenses. He conducted various other death investigations in the Clearfield County area. While stationed at Clearfield, Thurston received additional training in drug interdiction, criminal homicide investigation, child abuse investigation and interviewing and interrogation techniques.
In 1992, Thurston was selected to serve as a Drug Law Enforcement Officer with the Pennsylvania State Police Region IV Strike Force in State College. He conducted undercover drug investigation and interdiction activities in north central Pennsylvania, including Clearfield County. During this assignment, he received additional training in drug identification.
Thurston was promoted to the rank of corporal in 1993 and assigned as a patrol supervisor at Troop G, Rockview station, State College. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1994 and was assigned as crime section supervisor at Fogelsville station in Troop M, Bethlehem. He supervised multiple criminal investigations for homicides, assaults and drug violations. He received a Troop Commander’s Letter of Commendation for work in a multiple homicide case.
In 1995, Thurston was assigned as station commander at the state police at Ridgway. He served there until 1998 when he transferred to Troop H, Harrisburg, and was assigned as patrol section supervisor. His duties included supervision and scheduling of approximately 40 patrol troopers and corporals for regular patrol and special details, enforcing reporting and field regulations and overseeing the entire patrol operation in the greater Harrisburg area.
Thurston was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in January of 1999 and assigned as director of the programming division, Bureau of Research and Development at Department Headquarters. His responsibilities included supervision of sergeants, corporals, troopers and civilian personnel. Thurston supervised such varied functions as maintaining directives, operation of the Uniform Crime Reporting System, developing and maintaining statistical information and ensuring the continued accreditation of the department.
Further, he was responsible to advise the command staff on issues within his area of expertise, as requested. He was specifically assigned as project manager for the development of a web-based Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System, which provides automated information to the FBI and the general public. He developed specifications for the system, facilitated a bidding process to hire a technology vendor and oversaw the completion of the most advanced crime reporting system to date. He received a Commissioner’s Letter of Commendation for his work. The automated crime information system remains accessible to the general public here.
Thurston was assigned to make a presentation to other states at the Uniform Crime Reporting Conference in Vail, Colo., as well as to the Criminal Justice Information System Conference in New Orleans, La. He coordinated a comprehensive statewide Uniform Crime Reporting FBI training effort for state and municipal police.
He was assigned as acting bureau director in the absence of the bureau director. During his tenure with the Bureau of Research and Development, he completed the Project Management Certificate Program from the International Institute of Learning Inc. and graduated from the Northwestern University of Police and Staff Command in Illinois. He also completed Police Executive Training from Pennsylvania State University.
Thurston was assigned as staff services section commander, Troop C, Punxsutawney in February of 2004. He was responsible for overseeing personnel issues, vendor contracts, scheduling troop drills and Groundhog Day details, budgeting, facility management, evidence room integrity, communications for Troop C Headquarters and six sub-stations, including the Clearfield and Dubois stations. His responsibilities included internal investigations, labor-management liaison, equal opportunity liaison, procurement, supply, maintenance of equipment and vehicles, development of contracts, community services, training regarding sexual harassment in the workplace and supervision of a team of state police members. On occasion, Thurston was assigned as acting troop commander in the absence of the troop commander.
Thurston retired from the state police in 2009.