Joshua Moore - Candidate - Henry County Sheriff

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 1534

Posted by: RStokes
[email protected]
3347901729
Date: May 11 2022 10:01 AM

HENRY COUNTY:     On May 24 the registered voters of Henry County will go to the polls to elect a new Sheriff.

The incumbent Henry County Sheriff, Will Maddox, is not seeking re-election.

There are four announced candidates, three being Republican and one being Democrat. The three Republican candidates will be on the May 24 ballot and the one Democratic candidate will not be on the ballot until November 8.

RSN is profiling each candidate to hopefully introduce you to each person in order for the registered voters to make an informed decision on May 24 and November 8.

JOSHUA MOORE - CANDIDATE - HENRY COUNTY SHERIFF

Joshua Moore is a Republican candidate for Henry County Sheriff. While his name is Joshua, most call him Josh. He is 36 years old and is a Deputy Sheriff with Henry County Sheriff Department. He is currently assigned to Special Ops within the Sheriff Department.

Josh is originally from Eufaula. He got his taste of emergency service around 2005 as a volunteer with Baker Hill Volunteer Fire Department. During those years Josh saw the struggles volunteers encounter and the struggles for providing fast efficient service to those in the county. He also saw how important building relationships and seeking innovative ways to run a operation and obtain equipment from different sources when a department has very limited money.

In 2007 Josh Moore started under then Abbeville Police Chief Mike Jones as a Reserve Abbeville Police Officer. This is where you work for free riding with law enforcement officers. You are with the officer to asssit them and begin learning the law enforcement field.

2009 - Josh Moore became a Corrections Officer with Barbour County Sheriff Department. He was allowed to pay his own way but attend the Northeast Alabama Police Academy to become a certified law enforcement officer. Josh tenure with Abbeville and Baker Hill, he felt his calling was to serve in emergency services and law enforcement was where he felt his calling was.

When Josh graduated from police academy there were no open field positions with Barbour County Sheriff Department. Then from 2011 - 2012 Josh worked with Eufaula Police Department.

2012 Abbeville Police Chief Mike Jones then hired Josh Moore as a full time Abbeville Police Officer.

2014  With law enforcement pay being low, Josh questioned some the ability to make a good living in law enforcement. He left for a brief period working with the railroad. But it did not take Josh long to realize that his calling was law enforcement - public service.

The beginning of 2016 Josh Moore was hired by Henry County Sheriff Will Maddox as a Patrol Deputy. He started on days for a short period of time and was then transferred to night shift patrol duties with the Sheriff Department.

Being on night shift in a small county has many challenges. You are often the only person on the street, sometimes there are two. In Henry County there are one, sometimes two on duty in Headland and Abbeville Police. So you learn how to handle people and situations because often times you are alone.

In 2017 Henry County Sheriff Will Maddox promoted Josh to Patrol Supervisor. During that period of time all of the Henry County Sheriff Patrol Division was under his command.

In 2018, after learning while at Baker Hill Volunteer Fire Department how to search for resources at little or no cost, Sheriff Maddox agreed for Josh to pursue an Aviation Unit. While Dale County Sheriff Department has a fantastic aviation unit, when the three men drown in Henry County, Josh, Sheriff Maddox and members of the Henry County Sheriff Department saw several areas where they felt they needed to do better in serving the citizens in situations.

The aviation unit has been funded from the Sheriff discretionary funds and not from allocations from the Henry County General Fund. It has also been where they have obtained equipment from a government program referred to as a 1033 program. Also a federal grant has assisted with the establishment of the Aviation Unit.

Combined with the needs were seeing the Henry County Sheriff Department needed a boat unit. While the lake has Game and Fish and Corp of Engineers, Sheriff Maddox, Josh and others felt the Sheriff Department needed their own boat. Not as much to patrol the lake but to respond to boaters in distress, whether broke down, injuries or drownings. The Sheriff Department now has two boats.

Both the Aviation and Boats fall under Special Ops and under the maintenance and management of Deputy Moore.

Josh Moore said it is his desire to serve the citizens of Henry County as Sheriff. He is endorsed by incumbent Henry County Sheriff Will Maddox. While Maddox will retire and go home, Moore said having a 18 year Sheriff as a friend can help him because Maddox has encountered problems a small county Sheriff will encounter. And he said he would seek Maddox wisdom and insight, but if eleted Moore would be the Sheriff and Sheriff Maddox is retiring and going home.

Josh Moore said he wants networking with the citizens. Holding meetings quartly around the county talking to residents about their questions and needs, but then letting them know the progress on the needs they identified. Moore said Henry County needs a new county jail and wants to work with the Henry County Commission and making the idea of a new jail and 911 Center a reality. He supports the central dispatch that Henry County operates under now.

Moore wants to establish a great working relationship with all Henry County law enforcement, being Headland Police, Abbeville Police, Newville Police, ALEA - Troopers, Alabama Game and Fish, Alabama Marine Patrol and Henry County Coroner. 

Moore wants a minimum of five ( 5 ) deputies on each shift, seven days a week, 24 hours day. He wants Henry County a safe place to work, live and recreation. He has a goal of a 8 minute response time for deputies to arrive on the scene when called.

The Sheriff is responsible for the operation of the jail. With the idea of a new jail, Moore wants to begin - again the litter patrol. Wants to establish areas prisoners can work in, but where the security is in place and not free to leave. With the construction of the new jail he wants areas where prisoners can help work on the departments vehicles, attend church, classes to get a GED and learn a trade to make them productive in society and break the repeat offenders.

As a former Volunteer Fireman, Josh Moore made it clear that he supports the volunteer fire and EMS in Henry County and the paid EMS. That as Sheriff, he and the department intends to work with each department, and work hand-in-hand as a partnership, working together to best serve the citizens of Henry County.

Josh Moore said he is passionate about service to the people. Being responsive to their needs. As Sheriff being responsible for the safety of Henry County.

On May 24th Republican ballot, Eric Blakenship, Jay Henry and Joshua Moore are working to be the Republican nominee as Henry County Sheriff. Whoever wins the May 24th election or run off if one, will face Noel Vanlandingham who is unopposed as the Democratic nominee for Henry County Sheriff.

Incumbent Henry County Sheriff Will Maddox has served as Democrat his 20 years as Sheriff. There has never been a Republican Sheriff in Henry County.

<- back