Atlantic County, NJ Sheriff Creates a Police Department

When Joe O’Donoghue became Sheriff of Atlantic County, New Jersey, he inherited more than 5,500 active criminal warrants.

That’s mind boggling. He also inherited still undisclosed issues regarding certain grants and other administrative matters that are time-consuming to properly resolve.

O’Donoghue also inherited an agency that had evolved in a manner that was detrimental to the delivery of proper law enforcement, as the Sheriff’s Department had lost its way and was no longer handling core police functions.

For example, the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department had their ticket books taken away. They were no longer a police department.

They had also forfeited another core police function and no longer provided police protection at Atlantic County and Atlantic City courts.

The Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department had become a social services agency, which is important work, however, those duties need to be performed by a social services agency … not a county police department.

O’Donoghue has more than 40 years of law enforcement experience. He knew exactly what the problems were within the management level of the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department.

Make no mistake about it, this was a management problem. The Sheriff Officers were not the problem.

The Sheriff Officers were demoralized at what was done to their once proud law enforcement agency.

The fix is not complicated, but, it requires very hard work, focus and dedication of purpose.

It is a “Back to The Future” moment. What is required is to go back to the philosophy of legendary Atlantic County Sheriff Gerard Gormley.

Gormley was the top law enforcement official … he also managed the Atlantic County Jail … and, he and his family lived in the house located right next to the jail.

The Sheriff was always on duty and County residents felt protected and safe.

We will visit on-air (“Hurley in the Morning,” WPG Talk Radio 95.5) on Wednesday, August 7, 20/4 for the 8:00 a.m. hour with Atlantic County Sheriff Joe O’Donoghue.

We will be discussing the good, the bad and the ugly with O’Donoghue.  A wide-ranging interview about the latest news regarding the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department.