Valdese appoints new police chief

VALDESE, N.C. — The town of Valdese appointed Marc Sharpe as the new chief of police, officials announced Monday in a news release.

Sharpe, who has 35 years in law enforcement, was born in Valdese and returned 18 months ago with his wife.

In recent years, he served as chief detective with the Avery County Sheriff’s Office from July 2022 to March 2024, as investigator with the Greenville County Sherriff’s Office from January 2018 to July 2022, and as Special Agent III, later retiring as assistant special agent in charge with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Early in his career, Sharpe was a police officer with the City of Wilmington and served many roles including patrol, drug interdiction, and was a member of the SWAT team.

“I am honored to serve as the chief of police for the town of Valdese,” Sharpe said in the news release.  “I am committed to building upon the department’s successes and working collaboratively with our community members to ensure a safe and secure environment for all.”

Sharpe also serves as an adjunct criminal justice professor with Catawba Valley Community College as well as Gardner Webb University.

“We are delighted to welcome Chief Sharpe to our Town and the Town of Valdese Police Department,” said Mayor Watts in the news release. “His more than thirty-five years of experience, strong leadership qualities, and dedication to community policing make him the ideal candidate to lead our police force. We are confident that under his guidance, the department will continue to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service.”

He will be sworn in on March 25.

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