New Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman has made a few changes in the office’s command structure, including bringing back an officer who had resigned under the tenure of former Sheriff Mark Shook.

Hagaman said he would not use a chief deputy at this point, but will instead use four division captains. Shook’s chief deputy, Steve Thompson, was not reappointed, and Capt. Bryan Tolbert also resigned.

Capt. Dee Dee Rominger, who was the last female officer in Shook’s department and who had quit earlier this year, will serve as head of investigations under Hagaman.

Capt. Kelly Redmon will be head of patrol, and Capt. Al Reed will head the narcotics enforcement division.  Hagaman also created a new position, appointing Capt. Jeff Virginia head of administration and support, meaning he will oversee the detention center operations and communications.

“There are some vacant positions created by promotions,” Hagaman said. “I’m not sure of a handful of positions. There is some reorganization, the same as there is under any new administration.”

Hagaman, a Democrat who narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Shook last month, said there had been no major shake-ups in the office, with Pat Thomas remaining as chief of the detention center. “The biggest thing has been tightening the chain of command,” Hagaman said. “It’s been a smooth transition, and the public response has been good.”

Hagaman said the public should notice little immediate change in operations. “We will continue to be vigilant and visible,” Hagaman said. “If folks call in, we work for the public and try to take care of them.”

Hagaman said he’s been busy meeting with heads of state and municipal law enforcement agencies and has been pleased with the rapport he is building. “We’ve been discussing mutual aid and it’s been very positive,” he said.

One of his areas of focus, he said, will be courthouse security, particularly during ongoing renovations. Some court staff have been concerned about access to offices and the distance between the building and parking areas. The renovations are designed in part to boost security by eliminating prisoner interaction with the public and providing secured areas for the judges’ chambers and the district attorney’s offices.

Hagaman was a member of the Boone Police Department from 1976 to 1983, becoming chief before shifting over to Boone town manager.

He’s a certified instructor in basic law enforcement training and has also worked as a law enforcement consultant.