Did Atlantic County, NJ, Sheriff’s Improve Over The Past 32 Months?

There’s an old expression that elections have consequences. Such is the case at the Atlantic County, New Jersey Sheriff’s Department in the election of 2023.

Incumbent Atlantic County Sheriff Joe O’Donoghue — then a challenger — defeated the immediate past incumbent.

Immediately upon taking office in January, 2024, O’Donoghue went right to work to reinvent the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department.

The Sheriff Joe O’Donoghue Record Of The Past 32 Months

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department photo.

O’Donoghue brings 45 years of law enforcement experience prior to his first 3-year term as Sheriff.

K-9 Search & Rescue Has Been Reimagined

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department photo.

Expanded to 4 specialized teams.

• Bloodhounds Added For Search & Rescue
• Drone Unit
• Off-Road Search Motorcycles
• Specialized search equipment
• Additional trained personnel
• Expanded K-9 deployment

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department photo.

Protecting The Most Vulnerable

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department photo.

Expansion of Project Lifesaver to help vulnerable residents of Atlantic County, including:

Expanding the role regarding locating missing children and seniors, Alzheimer's patients, autistic individuals, and those who experience medical emergencies.

First-Ever Motorcycle Patrol Unit

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department photo.

This law enforcement enhancement has come at zero taxpayer cost.

This has been implemented as follows:

• community policing
• traffic safety
• public events
• rapid response
• search operations
• public visibility

More Motorcycles Are Coming Soon

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department photo.

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department photo.

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department photo.

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department photo.

Improved Fugitive Apprehension

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department photo.

Forged successful collaborations with:

• United States Marshals Service
• FBI
• Homeland Security
• New Jersey State Police
• Chiets of Police Association
• All local police departments, with the goal of locating and apprehending dangerous fugitives.

A Constitutional Court Case Victory

Harry Hurley photo.

O’Donoghue utilize his skill sets and housing to work with Atlantic County legal council and secured a victory in court that very few people thought could be achieved.

It was a landmark legal victory that will protect homeowners' equity following foreclosure sales.

Modernization, Implementation Of Technology & Artificial Intelligence

The Sheriff's Office modernized operations through expanded use of:

• Drone technology
• Advanced search equipment
• Digital investigations
• Modern K-9 deployment
• Improved communications
• Enhanced emergency response technology

Training

Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department employees have completed 5,944 of professional development and training in less than 32 months.

The training covered the following:

• K-9 operations
• drones
• search and rescue
• emergency response
• person investigations
• incident command.

SOURCE: Harry Hurley interviews & Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department.