Crime & Safety
Morris County Sheriff Retires After Historic 51 Year Career
You can watch his parting words here.
MORRISTOWN, NJ— The Morris County Sheriff retired on Friday, ending a 51-year career in law enforcement.
Ed Rochford served in the elected position of sheriff for 24 years. Before that, he served with the Morris Township Police Department. His 51-year tenure is one of the longest in county history.
A ceremonial walk-out ceremony was held on Dec. 30, a day before his term would officially end.
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Rochford's term was not without controversies. In June of 2015, county Freeholders stripped the Sheriff's office of control of the county jails. The move was a result of disagreements over raises and overtime.
In Sept. 2016, Freeholders passed a resolution condemning Rochford's restructuring of promotions within the department.
Find out what's happening in Morristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Control of the county jail returned to the Sheriff's office on Jan. 1, when Rochford's successor, James Gannon, took office.
You can watch Rochford's parting words here:
Images via Morris County
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