James A. Shipp throws his hat in the ring for sheriff

On Friday, Shipp, 57, of rural Princeton said he is running for the office because after 35 years at the sheriff’s department, he believes he can make changes for the betterment of the residents of Bureau County. With his many years of experience in law enforcement and his good working relationship with the Bureau County Board, he believes he would be the best choice for sheriff, Shipp said.

Born and raised in Bureau County, Shipp attended Hall High School and began his law enforcement career in 1977 for the village of Bureau. He graduated from the University of Illinois Police Training Institute in 1980 and was hired at the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department in 1981 by former Sheriff Mel Hult.

In addition to working full time and in every capacity at the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department, Shipp has worked as a part-time patrolman for the village of Bureau, where he is currently chief of police. He has also worked for 15 years for the village of DePue, with the rank of sergeant, and is currently in his sixth year as a patrolman for Tiskilwa.

Shipp was elected president of Lodge 222 Fraternal Order of Police, a position he held for 11 years. He also qualified for and is a graduate of the Class of 2005 of the Police Executive Role in the 21st Century program through the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute.

Shipp has more than 2,200 hours of ongoing law enforcement training through the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, Police Training Institute, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, as well as other organizations. He has also received several commendations from the department, individuals, agencies and organizations throughout his career, Shipp said.

Shipp has also completed his 17th year working security for St. Margaret’s Hospital and is the operations director in central Illinois for Illinois Security Services. He is also a private investigator for Petentler Investigations.