SUBMITTED RELEASE
Sheriff David L. Doughty Jr. announced he will seek a fourth, four-year term as sheriff of Northampton County, the position he has held since 2011.
A lifelong resident of Northampton County, Doughty, 53, has been employed with the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office for 29 years. He began his career with the sheriff’s office as a jail deputy in 1994.
Doughty was promoted to patrol deputy in 1996 and in 1998 to criminal investigator. In 2002 he was promoted to chief deputy. He was appointed Sheriff Jan. 1, 2011, after the retirement of Sheriff Jack Robbins. He has served as the elected sheriff since November 2011.
During his career, Doughty has earned law enforcement certifications in crime scene investigation and photography, evidence collection, homicide investigation, interviewing and interrogation, general instructor, basic radar training, firearms instructor, Taser, first aid and CPR, Glock armorers certification, crisis intervention training, incident command, frontline supervisor training, and Sheriffs Compensation Board Training. Doughty credits his success to the hard work of his current staff and several respected coworkers who have since retired.
“I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to work with some wonderful people that truly care about their community and citizens. My staff are the backbone of our department. They put their uniform on and come to work every day to do what’s best for our department and community.”
Doughty said the past few years have been challenging. He said COVID-19 changed the sheriff’s department approach to just about everything, as it did for businesses and citizens.
He commends his staff and their families for their dedication, sacrifices, and perseverance.
Doughty’s goals for the sheriff’s office during the next term are:
n Work to build community relations by encouraging positive interactions with the members of our community and continue to host sheriff’s office-sponsored events.
n Protect children and schools and work with parents, teachers, and administrators to further strengthen the security and safety of schools.
n Continue to focus on reducing serious crimes by expanding programs, initiatives, and partnerships with neighboring agencies.
n Continue to support programs that promote educational and successful life skills to incarcerated individuals, which help reduce recidivism and crime in our community.
Doughty is a member of a number of local organizations. He is a 1989 graduate of Northampton High School and received his associate’s degree from Virginia Tech in 1991. He is the son of Peggy and Paul Rogers of Cape Charles and the late David L. Doughty Sr. of Willis Wharf. He is married to long-time Northampton teacher and coach Cathryn Doughty.
“I would like to personally thank our citizens for their support. Serving as your Sheriff has been a pleasure, honor, and humbling experience,” he said.
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