麻花视频

Bowers, a native of 麻花视频, was first elected in 2006. Since then, he has worked with five different police chiefs, four sheriffs and four city managers, according to a news release from the city.

鈥淟aw enforcement officers see people on their worst day, either as a suspect, defendant and or victim of a crime,鈥� he said in the release. 鈥淚t is the job of the Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney to tell the story of what happened in that criminal incident and prosecute that case in a strong, fair and disciplined manner to achieve results and consequences that are appropriate.鈥�

Bowers, 63, joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1981 and served with Bravo Company, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion in 麻花视频 for four and a half years. While attending Virginia Western Community College and Radford University to receive degrees in criminal justice, he attained the rank of sergeant, according to the release.

鈥淚 was very blessed to have a dual career as a Marine Officer for 34 years while also serving a 30-year career as a prosecutor and private practice attorney,鈥� he said in the release.

Bowers attended the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School, the Basic School and Communications Officers School in 1985 and was assigned to Camp Lejeune, where he served four and a half years on active duty, according to the release. After cold weather operations in Bridgeport, California, and Norway, as well as a deployment to North Africa, Europe and Israel, he left active duty and joined the Reserve in 1990. He was promoted to captain and was mobilized for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

In 1994, Bowers graduated from Campbell University School of Law and became an assistant commonwealth鈥檚 attorney in 麻花视频. He became the regional drug prosecutor and in 2001, he left the 麻花视频 City Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Office and went into private practice, according to the release. In December 2004, he volunteered to serve in the Global War on Terrorism in Djibouti, Yemen, Ethiopia and Kenya.

鈥淚 know many people, whether defendants or attorneys, didn鈥檛 always agree with my decisions, but I always hoped they at least respected the fact that I could make that hard decision and stand by it,鈥� he said in the release.

Due to his work in the region during the height of the opioid crisis, Bowers received the Director鈥檚 Community Leadership Award from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2015.

鈥淲hile my name is on the plaque, this award is so special because I was the representative of an incredible effort by local prosecutors, chiefs of police, sheriffs, Virginia State Police agents, judges and treatment professionals to deal with a massive influx of drugs, mainly heroin, during the epidemic,鈥� he said in the release.

Bowers retired from the Marine Corps as a colonel in 2015. Bowers served as the Deputy Chief of Staff G-7, supporting security issues in the D.C. region, from 2010 until his retirement, according to the release.

The best part of his job is taking a 鈥渞eally bad person off the streets鈥� for a while, or when people come up to him outside of work and thank him, Bowers said in the release.

鈥淚鈥檝e had individuals tell me that I was tough on them, but that the tough love made a difference and helped them get off drugs or alcohol or leave the criminal element,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hose days don鈥檛 happen as often as one would like, but when they do you feel wonderful, and you go home happy.鈥�

He lives in Salem with his wife, Corrie. They have three children 鈥� Ben, a senior at Virginia Military Institute; Brooke, a rising sophomore at the University of Virginia; and Blair, a freshman at East Carolina University.

鈥淚 have been extremely blessed in many aspects of my life,鈥� he said in the release. 鈥淭he people I have worked alongside over the years in the prosecutor鈥檚 office and the courthouse have been incredibly dedicated to this city and made my job easier. I will always consider each one of them part of my extended family.鈥�

With Bowers not seeking reelection this November, Salem Deputy Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Matt Pollard has decided to run for the top prosecutor鈥檚 position. No one else has filed to run for the position, according to the Salem Registrar鈥檚 Office.

Pollard is a Salem native and has been practicing law for 21 years, according to a news release Thursday announcing his candidacy. He has been the city鈥檚 assistant commonwealth鈥檚 attorney for 14 years and has experience in private practice and as a public defender.

鈥淭he time I spent as a criminal defense attorney and in private practice was invaluable and because of those experiences, I simply became a much better lawyer,鈥� he said in the release. 鈥淚 think it is important for a prosecutor to have experience in other areas of the law and to learn to approach each case with an independent mind.鈥�

Bowers has served as a mentor to Pollard, stressing 鈥渢he importance of integrity and leadership,鈥� he said in the candidacy announcement.

鈥淚 am proud that Tom has trusted me to be Deputy Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney for the past nine years,鈥� he said in the announcement. 鈥淏ecause of this experience, I am confident that I will be ready to lead the office from day one.鈥�