Russellville councilman Jamie Harris congratulates Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver and his wife Tange after Oliver secured his bid for re-election Tuesday night. Photo by Kellie Singleton.

Since being elected Franklin County Sheriff in 2010, Shannon Oliver has made some changes that he believes have been a great asset to Franklin County.

Oliver won his bid for re-election Tuesday by defeating Republican opponent John Cantrell 5,999 votes to 1,691, and he said he is eager to continue the work he has started.

“I am humbled and honored to be re-elected as sheriff of Franklin County,” Oliver said.

“There are a lot of things that I believe we have been able to accomplish over the past four years and I think our county is moving in a positive direction.

“I am thankful to have the opportunity to continue to serve as the sheriff and move our county forward.”

Since he has been in office, Oliver has created a website for the FCSO that contains links to pertinent information Franklin County citizens may need, such as a list of current inmates, an interactive sex offender registry, information about obtaining permits, and more.

Oliver also collaborated with the Russellville Police Department to help form the Franklin County Drug Unit, which has been instrumental in many drug arrests since its inception, and he brought back the sheriff’s office K-9 Unit, which has also been an important asset in the fight against drug use in the county.

“Going forward, I want to continue to be very strict on the drug problem in the county because it seems to be a starting point for all the other crimes, such as burglaries, thefts, and in most cases assaults and domestic violence cases,” he said.

“I also want to try to position the deputies in a way that will cut down on response time to the calls and better serve our citizens.”