Letter to the Editor: Not seeking third term as New Kent Sheriff
To my colleagues and friends,
It is with extremely mixed emotions that I Have made the difficult decision not to seek re-election to a third term as the Sheriff of New Kent County. This has not been an easy decision to make, nor one that I have taken lightly.
However, after intense thought, prayer, and discussions concerning this decision, I am officially announcing that I will be retiring as of Dec. 31, 2023. I will continue to serve you to the best of my ability until my last day in this position.
It has been a dream and an honor to serve you as your Sheriff since Jan. 1, 2016, and to work alongside the most compassionate, caring, and professional group of law enforcement personnel in the nation. I have been blessed to serve this community as a member of New Kent Sheriff’s Offidce since being first appointed by my friend and retired Sheriff F.W. “Wakie” Howard Jr. in June of 1981. This has been a humbling experience and I am so unbelievably proud to have lived, grown, prayed, played, and been allowed to work in this tremendous community.
Thank you for being the supportive community that you are. It is my hope that as I step away from this office that I will be able to look back and see that I have made a difference during my tenure with New Kent Sheriff’s Office. I am blessed to have worked with tremendous men and women of this agency who are dedicated to serving and protecting this county and who do so with integrity, dedication, heart, loyalty, and compassion. Their single purpose being to improve the lives of those who serve.
In closing, I would like to say thank you for your support, friends, and for the opportunity to serve this great community for the past 42 plus years as a member of your Sheriff’s Office. It is a job which I have loved and enjoyed. I am humbled by your support, and I have enjoyed serving you, New Kent County.
May God continue to bless each of you, our county, and our nation.
J. Joseph McLaughlin Jr.
Sheriff
New Kent County