The Sheriff's Administration Division oversees day to day operations of the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office with focus on Professional Services, Leadership, Integrity and Impartial Policing.
Sheriff Van W. Shaw began his law enforcement career with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) in 1987. During his career with the NCSBI he served as the Deputy Assistant Director of the Special Operations Division, Special Agent in Charge of the Special Services Unit and the Clandestine Laboratory Response Unit, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Southern Piedmont Field District, and as a Special Agent with assignments that have included Drug Investigations, General Criminal Investigations, Arson and Crime Scene Response and Clandestine Drug Laboratory investigations. He served on the SBI’s Special Response Team for thirteen years and was a Specialized Law Enforcement Instructor for the State of North Carolina. In 2015, Sheriff Shaw retired from the NCSBI as the Deputy Director of the agency.
In 2015, Sheriff Shaw joined to the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office to oversee its Criminal Investigation Division. This division of the Sheriff’s Office includes criminal investigations, vice, narcotics and gang investigations, sex offender enforcement, crime scene investigation and property and evidence control.
In 2018, Sheriff Shaw was promoted to the position of Chief Deputy of the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office and oversaw the daily operations of the Sheriff’s Office. On November 6th, 2018, Sheriff Shaw was elected as Cabarrus County’s 38th Sheriff and officially took office on December 1st, 2018.
Sheriff Shaw completed his Undergraduate degree in Political Science at Elon University and received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration at Pfeiffer University. He is also a graduate of North Carolina State University’s Administrative Officers Management Program.
Sheriff Shaw also served in the United States Army Reserves as a Military Police Officer for ten years. Sheriff Shaw is married to his wife Taina and they have two daughters.
Chief Deputy
Tessa Burchett is the Chief Deputy and reports directly to Sheriff Shaw and oversees all Sheriff’s Office day-to-day operations. Burchett was promoted to Chief Deputy in May of 2023.
Captain Tessa Burchett received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from The College of New Jersey in 1995. She then graduated from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Academy in 1997. After working for CMPD for a short period, she began working with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office as a patrol officer in 1998.
During her career with the Sheriff’s Office, Burchett has worked as a DARE Officer, a Community Police Officer, an Investigator for the Town of Harrisburg, and a Detective before being promoted to Sergeant and later the Lieutenant of the Community Policing Division. Burchett was promoted to Field Operations Captain in March of 2019. As the Field Operations Captain, Burchett was over the Criminal Investigations Division, the Crime Reduction Unit, Crime Scene Investigations, Vice and Narcotic Investigations, the Special Response Team, the K9 Unit, the Critical Incident Peer Support Team, and the Crisis Negotiation Team.
She lives in Cabarrus County with her husband, David who is a Sergeant with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office and her daughters Bailey and Taylor.
Field Operations Captain
Michael Kluttz was promoted to Captain in May 2023 and assigned as the Field Operations Captain. The field operations captain oversees patrol operations, the Criminal Investigations Division, the Crime Reduction Unit, Crime Scene Investigations, Vice and Narcotic Investigations, the K9 Unit and the Traffic Education and Enforcement Unit. In addition, he oversees, Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit and the Motorcycle Unit.
Captain Kluttz received his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in 2003 from North Georgia College and State University. Prior to his return to Cabarrus County, he was a Detention Officer for the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia, where he attained the rank of Sergeant. Captain Kluttz was sworn with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office in 2004 and later graduated Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET). As a deputy with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office he has worked in the Detention Center for 2 years and the Patrol Division for 16 years, where he became a Lieutenant. Captain Kluttz completed the FBI Hazardous Device School in 2016 and completed the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Trilogy Course in 2022.
Since 2000, while working full time in law enforcement, he also served 6 years in the US Marine Corps Reserves earning the rank of Sergeant and 16 years in the North Carolina Army National Guard. He completed Officer Candidate School in 2008 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. His last assignment was as the Executive Officer of the 1-113th Field Artillery Battalion where he was a Major. Captain Kluttz retired June 30th, 2022, from the National Guard with 22.5 years of service. He completed three tours in the Middle East, 2 combat tours in Iraq in 2003 and 2009. His third tour was to Kuwait from 2019 to 2020.
He lives in Cabarrus County with his wife Tessa, who has been an educator with Cabarrus County Schools since 2004, and their children Joshua and Rachael.
Administrative Captain
Scott Zeman is the Administrative Captain. He oversees the day-to-day operations of Training, Recruiting, Civil, Records, and Courthouse Security. In addition, he oversees the operations of the Civil Emergency Response Team (CERT) and is the Commander of the Special Response Team.
Captain Zeman was sworn with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office in 2005 and later graduated Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET). Captain Zeman is currently completing the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Trilogy Course.
During his career with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, he has worked in the Detention Center, Courthouse Security, Patrol and Training-Recruitment-Professional Standards. Zeman was promoted to Captain in 2019 as the Jail Administrator where he was over day-to-day operations within the detention facility, including Booking, Housing, Inmate Visitation, and various Inmate Programs. In March of 2023, Captain Zeman made the move to Administrative Captain.
He resides in Cabarrus County with his wife.
Detention Center Captain
As Captain of the Cabarrus County Detention Center, Captain Joel Wallace supervises both inmates and staff officers, coordinates the facility activities, manages inmate programs and visitation, and maintains the overall safety and security of the inmates, employees, and the facility.
Captain Wallace became a sworn Deputy in the Detention Center in 2002. In 2004, he was promoted to Sergeant in the Housing and Booking Units, Inmate Transportation, and the Inmates Records Unit where he oversaw daily operations. Captain Wallace was promoted to Lieutenant of the Housing Unit in 2018 and was promoted to Captain and Jail Administrator of the Detention Center in 2023.
During his tenure, Captain Wallace has been awarded the Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate and the Advanced Detention Officer Certificate. He successfully completed the Contemporary Law Enforcement Leadership Development Program at Rowan Cabarrus Community College, the Public Safety Leadership Institute at Central Piedmont Community College, The National Institute of Corrections Jail Administrators Course, and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Trilogy Course.
Captain Wallace resides in Rowan County and has two daughters.
Governmental Support Services Captain
Governmental Support Services Captain
Barrett Elwood is the Governmental Support Services Captain. He oversees day to day operations of Communications, School Resource Officers (SRO), Animal Shelter, Animal Control and Government Services. In addition, he oversees the operations of the Special Vehicle Response (SVR), Explorer Program (Public Safety Cadets) and Drone.
Professional Standards Captain
Kevin Klinglesmith is the Professional Standards Captain. He oversees day to day operations of Community Outreach, Body Worn and Fleet Cameras, Internal Affairs, Agency Policy and Procedures, Public Records Requests, Off-Duty and Secondary Employment, Agency Fleet, Honor Guard, Bomb Squad and the Chaplains Program.
Captain Klinglesmith received his Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Rowan Cabarrus Community College in 2002 and later that year graduated Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET). He was sworn with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office on January 27, 2003. During his career with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, he has worked in the Detention Center, Patrol, Town of Harrisburg, Criminal Investigations and Training-Recruitment-Professional Standards and previously as the Captain overseeing the Government Support Services Division. Klinglesmith was promoted to Captain in December 2021.
During his tenure, Klinglesmith has successfully completed both the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA) Trilogy and e-Trilogy Courses along with being a graduate of Leadership Cabarrus – Class of 2020. Klinglesmith has been awarded the NC Sheriff's Education Training and Standards Intermediate and Advanced Professional Law Enforcement Certificates and the Intermediate and Advanced Service Awards for his years of dedicated service to the Law Enforcement profession.
He resides in Cabarrus County with his wife and two children.
Town of Harrisburg Captain
Chris Measimer is the Captain over the Harrisburg Division of the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office. Chris' responsibilities include the supervision of the town of Harrisburg's law enforcement, organizing the security of major town events, acting as a liaison between the town of Harrisburg and the Sheriff's Office, as well as being a vital member of the Harrisburg community. In addition, Measimer oversees the Critical Incident Peer Support and Disaster Response Teams.
Chris began his law enforcement career in 1996 as a Detention Officer with Mecklenburg County Police Department and after completing Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) in 1999, he began working as a Patrol Officer. In 2001, Chris migrated to Cabarrus County and joined the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office as a Patrol Officer. In 2003, Chris became a Field Training Officer (FTO) and in 2008 assumed the rank of Sergeant where he worked as a patrol supervisor for eight years and two years in the Training Division. In 2018 Chris was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, joining the Harrisburg Division for the first time in his career. Due to the Town of Harrisburg's growing need for law enforcement, in 2022 Chris was given the honor of becoming the division's first Captain where he proudly serves in his community today.