I support National Sheriff of the Year – Mike Chapman

Dear Editor:

Loudoun is fortunate to have Sheriff Mike Chapman running for re-election. I know him well, and his opponent too. 

For the past 12 years, Mike Chapman has made sure Loudoun is the safest county in the metro region by far – with serious crime down 47%.

That’s in stark contrast to the failures of Loudoun’s two previous Sheriffs, and to his opponent’s inexperience, which would put public safety at risk.

I’ve spent 35 years in law enforcement and can honestly say that Mike Chapman embodies the best traits of a Sheriff – one who leads with integrity, purpose, and competence, and who consistently delivers results that make a positive difference in our daily lives.

When first elected, Sheriff Chapman embarked on his signature “Step Up” strategy, a cultural shift to improve Service, Technology, Efficiency and Professionalism in law enforcement for Virginia’s fastest- growing, most affluent and best educated county. It has worked.

He reduced crime dramatically, produced citizen satisfaction ratings of 90%, and turned the Sheriff’s Office into a national leader for best practices in professionalism and training, crisis de-escalation, school safety, and community outreach. These forward-looking changes were rejected by the “good ‘ole boys” who left law enforcement along the way but show up every four years to support his opponent. I also know Craig Buckley, the opponent, a former police officer who, at the pinnacle of his career, managed a 5-person department with a budget of $599K, patrolling a rural town of 2,000 people. He was there for two years, doing a job that is comparable to the one I held for many years as Middleburg’s Chief of Police. Neither of these jobs prepares you to be Sheriff of Loudoun County.

By contrast, Mike Chapman leads the largest full service and most complex Sheriff’s Office in Virginia – managing law enforcement, courts, and corrections with over 850 employees, a budget exceeding $132 million, and 21 specialties.

It’s no surprise that Mike Chapman was named 2023 National Sheriff of the Year by his Democrat and Republican peers throughout the nation, or that the readers of Loudoun’s two newspapers named him “Best Public Servant” and “Favorite Public Servant” for the past two and three years, respectively. Mike Chapman is delivering the results that Loudoun needs, and there is more good work to come. 

Anthony “A.J” Panebianco

Former Chief of Police, Town of Middleburg

Past President, Virginia Association of the Chiefs of Police