CHESAPEAKE, Va. — There's a new sheriff in town, and some residents have high hopes for change under his leadership. Wallace Chadwick III is the new sheriff-elect for Chesapeake, and Neighborhood News Reporter Erin Holly sat down with him to discuss his plans when he takes office in January.
"We campaigned on leadership, accountability, and transparency. And you can break those three topics down into many different subjects, but first and foremost I think the culture is one of the biggest things that needs to be fixed over there," Chadwick said. 'We need to show that there's new leadership that supports each and every deputy over there. They will now have a voice to talk. They will be able to identify however they want politically. One of the jobs we talked about was pulling the politics out of that office."
Tanya Cook has lived in Chesapeake for more than half a century and says she has concerns about current jail conditions that she hopes the new sheriff will address.
"Well I'm hoping the new sheriff will take care of, you know, some of the poor conditions they have in the jails," Cook said.
Cook shared her personal experience with the jail system in Chesapeake, describing it as troubling.
"I just hope they treat the inmates better than they have in the past. You know, with the experience that I had, I mean it was just horrible. I mean, I wouldn't want that to happen to anybody. And you know, I swore, I was like I will never go back in there. Because if I do, I won't come out," Cook said.
When Neighborhood News Reporter Erin Holly brought Cook's concerns to Chadwick, he outlined his plans for improvement.
"Some of the things that we'll build morale, we'll make the job safer, and make the conditions in that jail a whole lot better than they are right now. And we've been working with people, we've been talking to people, so we kind of have a good idea on where to start," Chadwick said.
Chadwick said he has been working with other sheriff’s offices in the area to help him come up with an improvement plan for the jail.
"Take a good look at how they're treating them, and you know, treat them better because they're human. You know, people make mistakes. Things happen. Some people get in trouble. It happens. I had a little bit of a problem, but I got through it, and I'm moving on to better things. If they don't treat them good in there, then how can they get reformed?" Cook said.
These are some of the issues Chadwick says current Sheriff Dave Rosado was not addressing within the sheriff's office. After Sheriff Rosado lost his write-in campaign, he issued a statement Wednesday saying in part:
"This election at times became about 'us versus them,' police versus deputies, when in truth, Chesapeake needs all of its law enforcement professionals working together. The office you now lead needs a Sheriff who respects the people within it who values their service, their experience, and their sacrifice. Do not harm the men and women you now lead. Do not advance loyalists over those who have earned their place through years of hard work and commitment. Lead with fairness. Lead with respect. Lead with the understanding that this badge represents every person in Chesapeake, not just those who supported you."
Chadwick emphasized his commitment to change within the department.
"Like I said, it's been the same way for many, many years here in Chesapeake, and I look forward to bringing a breath of fresh air to that office," Chadwick said.
Chadwick will take office on January 1st.
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