Glen Alpine's police force grows by 3

Being a police officer isn’t the type of job where you work a shift and clock out without thinking about it again until you clock back in.

“Cut me and I bleed blue,” said Levi Shininger, one of three officers who recently joined the Glen Alpine Police Department.

Sitting beside him at Town Hall during a quick break from patrols, fellow new GAPD officer Dillon Poteat shakes his head in agreement.

The following week during a conversation with newly hired Officer Ralph Harper, he echoed the same sentiments.

“It’s not a job. It’s a calling,” Harper said, then gave the analogy of a police officer being like a sheepdog that watches over the flock, unafraid to show his teeth when danger lurks.

All three men have law enforcement experience, with Harper having the most. His career began in 1999, working at the jail in Alexander County.

“That’s how everyone started back then,” he said. “It’s a good place to start. Working at the jail gives you a skillset you won’t get elsewhere.”

The unique environment teaches you how to talk to people — when to be authoritative, maintain control, and diffuse situations. A native of Man, W.Va., Harper was with the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office for 15½ years, being a SWAT operator for more than 13 of those years. He also served a short stint as the police chief at the Catawba Police Department.

After graduating from Western Piedmont Community College’s Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program in 2018, Shininger joined the Burke County Sheriff’s Office. He temporarily ventured away, first working in a factory and then at a car dealership.

He was selling cars in Hickory when Hurricane Helene hit. The resulting devastation got him thinking about returning to law enforcement, where he could more significantly contribute to his community.

He was quick to not throw shade on other professions.

“Selling cars is fine, but wasn’t my interest,” the Freedom High graduate said.

Poteat is a McDowell County native who got the bug for law enforcement when he sat in the patrol car brought into the tire shop where he worked in Black Mountain.

“I knew I had found something I was interested in,” Poteat said.

When he graduated from BLET at McDowell Technical Community College in 2022, he began working part-time at the police department in Old Fort.

A common thread soon surfaced: The significance of working for a small-town police department that is modernizing its equipment and standards while growing to meet the community’s needs.

“I’m an Andy Griffith where I can be on a first-name basis with residents,” Shininger said. The Indiana native said living in the community enables him to be more directly involved, noting his three children attend Glen Alpine Elementary.

Dillon added, “It’s good to build a rapport with people — be polite and respectful.” During his shifts, he intentionally walks around town, stopping in local businesses and talking with business owners and residents.

“In a small town, everybody knows everybody,” Harper said. “You are not going to be successful unless you get out in the community and talk to people.”

A misconception some might have is that small towns like Glen Alpine don’t have crime. Harper said that is simply untrue.

“Small towns are susceptible to crime,” he said. “In fact, some (criminals) see it as a soft target.”

In addition to the Glen Alpine Police Department insignia, his uniform also has a TRACKER patch on his left arm and a Tactical Operator Wings patch on his right chest. His advanced training includes a background in counterterrorism.

“It’s good to bring those skills to the table, even in a small town,” Harper said.

Harper, Shininger, and Poteat highlighted the camaraderie and professionalism among their fellow GAPD officers.

“It’s like a family. We’ve got each other’s back,” Poteat said.