Canadian County Sheriff – Chris West

Sheriff Chris West is a fifth-generation Oklahoman and lifelong resident of Canadian County. A 1980 graduate of Yukon High School, West attended college for one year before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. As a U.S. Marine, West served in assignments at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, and with the U.S. Marine Detachment, United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. West received an honorable discharge, separating from active duty as a Non-Commissioned Officer in 1984.

Following service as a U.S. Marine, West served twenty-nine years with the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, retiring from the Highway Patrol on December 31, 2012, at the rank of Captain. During his service with the Highway Patrol, West worked various assignments, including at the State Capitol, as a Traffic Trooper, Academy Training Staff, Field Supervisor, Troop Commander, Agency Spokesperson, Highway Patrol Honor Guard, and as a member of the Highway Patrol Tactical Team.

Following retirement from the Highway Patrol, West was appointed Undersheriff of the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office and worked in that capacity until he took office as the elected Sheriff on January 3, 2017. West ran unopposed for a second term in 2020 and was elected to a third term on June 18, 2024, winning 82% of the vote.

During his forty-plus years in public safety, Sheriff West has amassed over 4,000 hours of law enforcement training. West possesses an advanced Oklahoma law enforcement certification and is a certified firearms instructor. West also holds more than a dozen Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Incident Management System certifications, as well as an instructor-level Certification in Emergency Public Information.

West possesses an Associate of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Redlands Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Management & Leadership from Southern Nazarene University. Sheriff West is a 2004 graduate of the 216th Session of the FBI National Academy and a 2013 graduate of the Oklahoma Sheriff’s Academy. West possesses an advanced leadership certification from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is a graduate of the Claremont Institute’s “Sheriff’s Fellowship” program.

Sheriff West served on the Oklahoma Council for Law Enforcement Education & Training from May 2018 until December 2024, including a two-year term as Vice Chair. West is a Board Member to the Oklahoma District Attorney Council’s Forensic Sciences Improvement Task Force and a former Board Member to the Oklahoma Board of Tests for Alcohol & Drug Influence.

Sheriff West was elected to the Oklahoma Sheriff’s Association in 2017 and served as OSA President from 2021 to 2022. In 2019, West was named “Sheriff of the Year” by the Oklahoma Sheriff’s Association.

In December 2019, West attended a Homeland Security/Counter Terrorism training program in Israel as part of a U.S. Law Enforcement delegation sponsored by the Jewish Institute for the National Security of America (JINSA).

In 2019, West was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA). West was elected to the Executive Committee of the NSA Board of Directors in 2020. West served as Secretary, Treasurer, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Vice Presidents, and President of the National Sheriffs’ Association from June 2025 to June 2026. He is currently the Immediate Past President of the NSA.