A Message From Sheriff Michael A. Moore
Hello to you all,
As we approach this election season, I would like to take a moment of your time to share some of the successes of the Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office. While I've always thought that the work we do at the Sheriff’s Office speaks for itself, it is also important to speak of the work we do. As a Constitutional Officer elected by the citizens of Portsmouth, I'd like to report to you what we have been able to achieve and how those achievements have benefited our city and, most importantly, our citizens.
First let me reintroduce myself and introduce myself to new voters in Portsmouth. My name is Michael A. Moore, and I am the current sheriff in the City of Portsmouth. I was first elected in 2017 and re-elected to a second term in 2021. I grew up in the Cavalier Manor neighborhood and graduated from Manor High School in 1974. I am a Cum Laude graduate of Norfolk State University, and I am also a graduate of the Virginia State Police Academy in Richmond, VA, the FBI/DEA Academy in Quantico, VA and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick, GA. My background in law enforcement began as a Virginia State Trooper, assigned to Southampton County, VA. I began my federal law enforcement career as a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assigned to the Norfolk , VA and Pittsburgh, PA Field Offices. Following my time with the DEA, I served as a Special Agent/supervisor for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) stationed in Norfolk, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Richmond, and Charlottesville. While stationed in Washington, D.C. I was assigned to the Department of Justice Office of Internal Affairs and was also the regional supervisor for the Hostage Negotiation Team. After 22 years of service with the ATF, I retired in 2012 and shortly thereafter began teaching in the Health Science curriculum at Brightpoint Community College in Chester, VA and Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach, VA.
When I was first elected in 2017, there were four key issues I immediately sought to address: employee pay, services to our seniors and disabled citizens, taking a proactive role in assisting with crime reduction, and relocating the jail and ending the contract with the Hampton Roads Regional Jail that was costing our city millions of dollars yearly. Before addressing each of those I want to share with you that historically the Sheriff’s key responsibilities are Court Security, Corrections (jail), and Civil Processing (deputies who serve legal documents on behalf of the courts). Adding to that list is the School Resource Officer (SRO) program that began with a partnership with Portsmouth Public Schools five years ago.
Employee Pay:
When I first came into office the Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office employees were one of the lowest paid in the Hampton Roads region
I consistently lobbied for a salary increase — 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 one of the lowest in the region to among the highest.
Services to our citizens:
The Sheriff's Office provides services to those in need of assistance with lawn maintenance and handicap ramp construction.
We assist seniors who may need transportation to a medical appointment, grocery store, and pharmacy for prescription medications.
Every holiday season, Thanksgiving through Christmas, we deliver prepared meals to citizens. With many food/nutritional programs being cut I decided we needed to do more. We started a feeding program in March of this year where meals are prepared and delivered on Tuesdays and Thursdays to those citizens in need at no cost. Soon we will expand the program from 2 to 5 days per week.
We have many seniors who live alone. The Sheriff's Office provides a service in which we call those seniors every morning to make sure they are okay. If there is no answer a deputy will go to the residence to do a wellness check.
We partner with the Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless. Prior to the COVID pandemic, a group of churches in Portsmouth housed the homeless during the winter months for one week. After one week, the homeless would move to another participating church. When the pandemic occurred, those churches closed and were no longer providing that service. I offered one of the Sheriff’s Office buildings to the volunteers where we conducted our inmate re-entry program and housed inmates that participated in the work release program. I redirected our personnel from that facility and let the volunteers for the homeless use the facility for housing not only during the winter months but all year round. The facility is a dormitory style housing so no build out was necessary. Volunteers for the Homeless have been in our facility since 2021 at no cost.
We recently had our fourth Senior Expo and approximately 700 seniors attended.
We have many more services that we offer and if you or someone you know is in need of these types of services, please contact our Community Service Unit at (757) 582-0856.
Assisting in Crime Reduction:
We brought back the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program to the Portsmouth Public Schools for grades K-3. We are currently working to develop a program for middle school students that will be similar to D.A.R.E.—same concept, different message and geared towards teenagers prior to entering high school.
We started a re-entry program in the jail, with the mission to equip returning citizens with the tools, resources, and support needed to navigate the challenges of reintegration. Through personalized guidance, education, and skill-building initiatives, we strive to break down barriers to success, promote self-sufficiency, and foster a community of belonging and dignity. Our commitment is to cultivate resilience, restore hope, and facilitate positive transformation for individuals transitioning back into society.
We were asked by the Portsmouth Public Schools to assist with the School Resource Officer (SRO) program after the police department could no longer participate due to staffing shortages. The presence of armed deputies serves as a deterrent and necessary protection in the event of an emergency. But the deputies also serve as mentors to the students. These deputies as well as deputies not in the SRO program provide security at all sports and non-sporting events activities held at any of the Portsmouth Public Schools. After applying for and receiving a grant, the SRO program is fully funded at no cost to the city and our taxpayers. With schools closed for the summer I reassigned SRO deputies (for the summer) to assist the Portsmouth Police Department patrolling the city.
Deputies provide security at places of worship, restaurants like Roger Browns during special events when large crowds are anticipated and many more businesses throughout the city. We also provide support to community groups with equipment (tents, tables, chairs, etc.) and security for their events.
Jail Relocation:
One of the first things I did after being elected was letting the city administrators know I was in complete agreement that the jail needed to be relocated from the then-current location on the waterfront. I recommended terminating the city's prior agreement with the Hampton Roads Regional Jail (HRRJ) after an extensive investigation by the United States Department of Justice found that HRRJ had repeatedly violated inmates' 8th and 14th Amendment rights. Prior to termination of the agreement, the city had been paying upwards of $4 million annually for many years for services not needed at the HRRJ.
The Portsmouth City jail is now located at the site of the former Hampton Roads Regional Jail which closed in April 2024.
Cost Savings to Taxpayers:
As mentioned previously, the SRO program is fully grant funded and does not cost the city or our taxpayers anything.
The Sheriff's Office was also able to replace an aging fleet of vehicles that had high mileage and were unsafe for the transportation of deputies and individuals in our custody at no cost to the city. Over the last several years we have purchased 22 new vehicles at no cost to the city and our taxpayers. While it is technically the city’s responsibility to purchase vehicles, not the Sheriff’s Office, the aging fleet was experiencing frequent breakdowns and becoming an urgent safety concern.
I really appreciate your time, and I hope this snapshot into the work and achievements of the Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office lets you know how dedicated we are to meeting the needs of our city and our citizens.
