He wakes up scared every morning.

That’s right, big, strong James Zusack, the brand-new sheriff of Belmont County whose been a deputy for more than three decades and the chief the past 12 years for former sheriff Dave Lucas, admits there are parts of his new job that scare him.

Zusack collected nearly 25,000 votes back in November as the unopposed Republican candidate for sheriff, and during Day Two he was interviewed on River Talk 100.1/100.9 FM.

He offered honest answers.

“I fear two things, and number one is the possibility of losing one of our people in the line of duty,” he said. “And number two, I fear failing the people. Those two things scare me every day. That’s what scares me when I wake up in the morning.

“I know I’ll have some setbacks as sheriff. I know that,” the sheriff reasoned. “But I will be very transparent with the people of Belmont County every day I go to work.”

A man with a Bible.
Belmont County Judge John Vavra swore in new Sheriff James Zusack with his wife Jodi and son Logan in attendance.

LEDE News broke the news in late January 2023 that Zusack would seek the sheriff’s position, and ever since he has felt the people’s support more than ever before. Zusack also was unopposed in the GOP primary in March 2024, but he attended every election-related function anyway so he could state his case to anyone who asked.

“I’ve just never stopped being me no matter what. That’s why I think people appreciate the job I’ve done as a deputy and chief deputy over the last 30-plus years. I’m still the guy they knew back in high school,” the new sheriff said. “I’ve never changed, and I’ve never forgotten where I came from, that’s for sure. And I’ve always been an empathetic person and that will never change.

“I like to help people, and on the job, you have to be sure to remember that you’re likely dealing with someone on their worst day. I tell our deputies all the time to treat folks like it’s the worst day in their lives,” Zusack said. “That’s why I got into this professional and why I’ve stayed in it for so long. It’s why I love to do this job and why taking it to the next level made sense to me at this point in my career.”

A man with a dog.
Jersey, the Sheriff’s Office’s therapy canine, took to Chief Zusack immediately.

When asked, though, Belmont County’s sheriff had no idea how many people voted for him on Nov. 5th.

“No, he said. “How many?

A total of 24,723 votes.

“Wow. Really? That many? Now that’s an honor,” he said. “I didn’t look at the final total because, well, I didn’t have to, but the fact I received almost 25,000 votes without someone running against me is very humbling. I knew I voted for myself and hoped my wife (Jodi) and my son (Logan) would vote for me, so I hoped I would have at least three votes.

“The whole process was very interesting because it was my first time running for anything. I really didn’t know what to expect. But once I announced I was going to run, the support I’ve received has been incredible. It tells me the people of Belmont County people I can do this job.” 

A family of three.
Even though he was unopposed, James and the Zusack family still campaigned throughout Belmont County.

Help on the Way

Zusack climbed the ladder at the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office the hardest way possible – he worked for it by becoming as complete a member of law enforcement officer as possible since 1991. Every training. Every weapon. Every piece of equipment.

Not to mention he was a S.W.A.T. team member for more than a decade.

Crime has changed in the Upper Ohio Valley as the population has declined and the economy has struggled since most manufacturing jobs have vanished. Narcotics trafficking and drug abuse is a far bigger – and more deadly – problem now than it was in the early 1990s, and the social ramifications have impacted all aspects of the region’s quality of life.

Zusack, though, is confident help is on the way in Washington, D.C.

“I believe the situations surrounding the drugs will improve because of who was elected as our next President. That’s a lot of help to law enforcement that will come from the top, and I think we’re going to see a lot of things change for the better,” the sheriff said. “I believe we’ll see our national crime rate decrease because of the changes that’ll be made at the southern border, and that includes the number of drugs coming into our county. A closed border will benefit us here in Belmont County for sure.

Two men.
The new sheriff presented the Life Saving Award to Deputy Connor P. Probst. Deputy Probst was dispatched to a cardiac arrest call. Upon arrival, Deputy Probst initiated CPR on the 52-year-old male and continued until the E-Squad arrived.

“Now, the changes at the southern border won’t stop it all, I realize that, but it’s going to help a great deal,” Zusack said. “We’re going to see positive changes and that will allow us to concentrate on the other crimes in the county, and that will be great for everyone.”

The Belmont County Sheriff’s Office is located at 68137 Hammond Road in St. Clairsville near Belmont College, and the 120-employee department has several divisions including traffic, the jail, detectives, and drug interdiction. The law enforcement profession, however, is not as popular as it was when Zusack first took the oath, and that’s why recruitment and retention are also concerns.

“The first thing I know I need to do as sheriff is to start recruiting now because I have to make sure we are fully staffed in the future, and I also need to take care of the people we have now. They take care of me, and I have to take care of them,” he explained. “I plan to fight for them to get the pay increases they deserve so they will be motivated to stay with us for as long as possible.

“Other than that, it’s day by day,” he said. “It’s month by month. If something pops up, the men and women in the department will know I will support them and their decisions. I want our morale to be the best it’s ever been and the only way that happens is if everyone has each other’s backs and supports each other.”

Sheriff Zusack promoted Corp. Ervin “Tiny” Fulst to Sergeant during a ceremony earlier this week.

He says you’ll see him just as much as you did when he was the chief deputy, and the new sheriff insists he’ll continue visiting the schools in the county so the children know him and he knows the children. Belmont County, after all, is a big, beautiful place, and Zusack is quite aware of the nearly 540 square miles from border to border.

“I love being out in the county so don’t be surprised when you see me,” Zusack said. “Of course, I want to know as many of our residents as possible, but I really want to know the kids. I want them to know that law enforcement is their friend and not their enemy.

“There will be days when I can’t leave the office because of the administrative things I have to take care of as the sheriff, but I’ll be out there. I’ll be on the streets as much as possible.”

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