Morris County Sheriff Announces Decision On Running For Re-Election

MORRISTOWN, N.J. – After 51 years of serving Morris County in various capacities of law enforcement, Morris County Sheriff Ed Rochford has made a decision on whether he will run for re-election this year or not.

The lifelong Morris County resident has officially decided to hang up his badge and retire. His current term ends Dec. 21, 2016.

“Fifty-one years in the same profession is a long, long time,” Rochford said Tuesday in a statement. “My goal when I became sheriff back in 1993, was to take a good sheriff’s office to a higher level. With the officers and employees I have had throughout the years, coupled with the management philosophy I have always maintained, we were able to accomplish just that.”

Before his tenure as sheriff began in 1993, Rochford was an officer with the Morris Township Police Department where he retired as deputy chief. While there he earned Police Officer Of The Year Award.

Rochford was first elected to Morris County Sheriff in 1992 and was re-elected seven more times.

So what’s next for Rochford?

“I’m an avid baseball fan and I have always wanted to visit every major league baseball stadium in the country,” he said. “I will work on knocking this off my bucket list!”

James Gannon, a former officer with Boonton Police and agent with the FBI recently threw his hat into the ring as a Republican candidate for the June Primary election of Morris County Sheriff. Anyone seeking to be put on the ballot must file a petition prior to April 4, 2016.