Portsmouth Sheriff Michael Moore is seeking a third term. The former community college instructor and retired supervisor with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021. He’s being challenged by Jim Cullen, whose prior service has included as a police officer and a U.S. Coast Guard commander.
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James “Jim” Cullen
Age: 62
Employment: Retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander
Education: Juris Doctor, Rutgers Law School
Military service: U.S. Coast Guard
Party affiliation: Independent
Website: cullenforportsmouthsheriff.com
How closely will you cooperate with the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in enforcing federal immigration law?
Having served as both a federal police chief and a municipal police executive, I’ve worn both hats and served in both roles. As sheriff, my responsibility is to enforce and protect the U.S. Constitution, the Constitution of the commonwealth of Virginia, and local city ordinances. I’ve always fully cooperated with local law enforcement agencies while serving as a federal law enforcement officer, and fully cooperated with federal law enforcement agencies while serving as a city police watch commander. I will honor valid arrest warrants from any jurisdiction. Regarding the three available Delegation of Immigration Authority Section 287(g) Immigration and Nationality Act / ICE optional programs, the Jail Enforcement Model would be most applicable to Portsmouth, but currently would not be cost effective.
What will you do to reduce staffing shortages at your local jail, both now and in the future?
The Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office suffers from very high staff turnover. Step one is increasing employee morale and returning a sense of dignity and loyalty to our existing personnel, to increase their desire to stay with our agency. Secondly, the city of Portsmouth is in the unique position of having a constant flow of locally-retiring military personnel who are seasoned, mature, already earning a pension, often with children in high school that they don’t want to uproot. These are people with security clearances, verifiable performance records and leadership experience, who might be willing to consider starting a new second career. We need to simultaneously engage in outreach to young local residents to join us, improve the morale of existing staff, and also actively recruit retiring military personnel who are ready to step into another government service job as a deputy sheriff.
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Michael A. Moore
Age: 69
Employment: Portsmouth sheriff
Education: Bachelor’s of arts in criminal justice from Norfolk State University, cum laude grad
Party affiliation: Democrat
Website: michaelamooreportsmouthva.wordpress.com/
How closely will you cooperate with the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in enforcing federal immigration law?
I am approaching four decades in law enforcement, during which I have remained committed to making this nation a safer place. It has been a privilege to work alongside agencies that share this mission. Following the 9/11 attacks, I was a supervisor with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Detroit. I had special agents assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and I deployed personnel from my office to provide in-flight security on commercial aircraft to prevent further hijackings. This was before the Department of Homeland Security was established in 2003. Throughout my leadership roles, I have consistently collaborated with federal, state, and local agencies. Currently, I have a deputy assigned to the Homeland Security Task Force. With that said, I have no objection to working with ICE – as long as civil and human rights are fully respected and protected.
What will you do to reduce staffing shortages at your local jail, both now and in the future?
One of my concerns coming into office was the deputy’s low pay, one of the lowest in the region. In Virginia, the commonwealth pays most of a deputy’s salary, while each city or county provides a local supplement. In Portsmouth, that supplement had not increased in over 20 years resulting in the loss of many valuable employees. I consistently lobbied for salary increases – a challenging process, made even more difficult by the frequent turnover of city managers. After much persistence, I’m proud to say that the starting pay for Portsmouth deputies has risen from the lowest in the region to among the highest. Competitive pay, strong benefits, and good working conditions are essential to maintaining adequate staffing levels. Because of recent retirements we are down seven positions, five being from the jail staff and those positions should be filled within the next 30 days.