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Sheriff Mark R. Anderson
Sheriff Anderson began his adventure in law enforcement after taking the Law Enforcement class at the Windham Regional Career Center. Starting as a part-time deputy and dispatcher in 2004, he gradually rose through the ranks of the Office becoming the Chief Deputy. On July 11th, 2019 he was appointed Sheriff by Governor Phil Scott to fulfill the remaining term of his predecessor and mentor, Sheriff Keith Clark.
Sheriff Anderson is certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a Master Instructor in RADAR and LIDAR speed measuring devices and serves as the lead instructor of speed enforcement at the Vermont Police Academy. He was the first deputy sheriff in the State of Vermont to become a Drug Recognition Expert, serving more than eight years as a DRE.
Sheriff Anderson serves on a variety of boards, including as President of the Vermont Sheriff's Association, Co-vice chair of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council, Treasurer of the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. School for Autism, and Treasurer of the Safe Place Child Advocacy Center Board of Directors. Sheriff Anderson also manages the Vermont Sheriff's Association's scholarship committee for the Vermont Sheriffs' Scholarship and the Vermont Sheriffs' William Graham Scholarship.
Career History
- 2019 - Present: Sheriff - Newfane, VT
- 2016 - 2019: Captain/Chief Deputy - Newfane, VT
- 2014 - 2016: Lieutenant - Vernon/Newfane, VT
- 2012 - 2014: Sergeant - Newfane, VT
- 2009 - 2012: Corporal - Newfane, VT
- 2008: Investigator - Southeastern Unit for Special Investigation - Brattleboro, VT
- 2008: School Resource Officer - Brattleboro, VT
- 2008: Police Officer - Vernon, VT
- 2007 - 2009: Full time deputy - Newfane, VT
- 2004 - 2007: Part time deputy & dispatcher - Newfane, VT
Military Experience
Massachusetts Air National Guard
104th Fighter Wing, Weapons Element
Serves as a Weapons Load Crew Chief for the F-15 fighter. Has worked at various levels within the element performing maintenance functions on military aircraft since 2005.
Education
University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Business
Bachelor's of Business Administration in Management
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Homeland Security Leadership Academy
Greenfield Community College
Associates of Arts in Business Administration
Vermont Police Academy
84th Full-Time Basic for Police Professionals
Press releases from the Sheriff
Person impersonating deputy making scam calls
The Windham County Sheriff's Office has received a complaint recently of persons calling from a spoofed department phone number claiming to be "Captain Michael Wells" of the Windham County Sheriff's Office. The scam caller reported that a court appearance had been missed and a warrant was issued for... Keep reading
Cruiser slide-off during prisoner transport
Incident: 24WHC004575
Date: 8/27/2024
Location: I91 MM48.2, Weathersfield, VT
Description: On August 27th, 2024 at approximately 06:20 hours, the Windham County Sheriff's Office was performing an intra-facility prisoner transport from the Southern State Correctional Facility to the Chittenden R... Keep reading
Bank Robbery in Putney
Incident: 24WHC004361
Date: 8/14/2024
Location: Putney, VT
Investigating Deputy: Sergeant Mario Checchi
Description: The Windham County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call reporting a robbery at M&T Bank on Main Street in Putney at 09:01 on August 14th, 2024, with initial deputies were on sc... Keep reading
Sheriff's Social Worker
The Windham County Sheriff's Office, in partnership with the Dover Police Department, the Wilmington Police Department, Health Care and Rehabilitative Services and the Consortium on Substance Use, has implemented a police social worker program to help aid the community with growing social and mental health issues that are otherwise handled by an officer.
Click here for more information
Regional Animal Control
Recognizing a gap in services for rural towns, our office created a regional animal control officer that currently services Dummerston, Guilford, Putney, Newfane, Westminster, and Windham. Our regional animal control officer is responsible for handling animals at large, vicious animals, registration requirements and quarantine requirements. In addition, we support towns and their law enforcement agencies performing animal cruelty investigations.
A program designed for older adults, disabled persons, shut-ins who live alone, or anyone in our community who need to be checked upon daily. Click here for more information
Tesla EV Pilot
The Windham County Sheriff's Office recently acquired a Tesla Model 3 Electric Vehicle for the purpose of testing an all-electric vehicle in a law enforcement environment. Click here for more information
Windham County Sheriff's Advisory
The Windham County Sheriff's Advisory is a group of community members charged to provide community perspective, blind spots, and feedback to the Sheriff's Office. In Vermont, county governments lack a legislative body that serve this function in local or state governments. The Advisory meets to discuss policy, operations, and needs of the communities within Windham County. Click here for more information
With the advent of prescription medication, the topic of disposal comes to mind frequently. Many people are concerned about the drugs ending up on the streets or in the soil and ground water around us. The Drug Take-Back is a national program to safely dispose of prescription medications. Click here for more information
The Drug Evaluation and Classification program, also known as the Drug Recognition Expert Program (DRE) employs highly trained officers to remove operators impaired by drugs from the public highways. Click here for more information
A dedicated patrol to ensure the safety of all snow travelers on the Vermont Association for Snow Travelers trails. Click here for more information
The Camp Leadership Challenge is a program in cooperation with the Vermont National Guard and our Office allowing youth an opportunity to learn the skills of leadership and team work. Click here for more information
The Sheriff has established a Zero Tolerance policy regarding operator's driving under the influence. Our Deputies have been trained to detect impaired operators with the intent of improving traffic safety.
Smart Carts
SMART carts are a proven method of slowing traffic in problem areas. SMART carts broadcast oncoming vehicle's speed in relation to the posted speed limit to make drivers aware of how fast they are actually going. Click here for more information
The Southeastern Unit for Special Investigation was started in 2006 after the State provided money for investigatiors. Our office has assigned an investigator to this unit to investigate and prosecute child abusers and child sex offenders. Click here for more information
Along with other area agencies, we work in conjunction with the Governor's Highway Safety Program to improve traffic safety. The GHSP supplies money for officers with well-known campaigns such as Click It or Ticket, DUI Task Force, Aggressive Driving and other various activities.
Law Enforcement The Windham County Sheriff's Department hosts a Law Enforcement education class at the Windham Regional Career Center in Brattleboro. This class introduces students to the aspects of the law enforcement career and all that is involved. Click here for more information