Atlantic County Sheriff Candidates Clash Over Union Allegations, Spending and Police Services in WOND Debate

Incumbent Joseph O'Donoghue and challenger Sean Riggin exchange sharp criticism over leadership and public safety priorities while finding common ground on bail reform.

ATLANTIC COUNTY, N.J. — Atlantic County Sheriff Joseph “Tokyo Joe” O'Donoghue and Democratic challenger Sean Riggin clashed over allegations of unfair treatment of sheriff's officers, rising department spending and the future of countywide police services during a contentious radio debate Tuesday, one week before voters decide who will lead the Sheriff's Office.

The two candidates faced each other October 27 on Off The Press with Scott Cronick on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, challenging each other's records and management philosophies in a debate that also covered prisoner transportation, bail reform, law enforcement experience and officer mental health.

The sharpest exchange came when Riggin confronted O'Donoghue with what he described as an unfair labor practice complaint filed October 7 by the union representing sheriff's officers.

O'Donoghue disputed the allegations, said he had not previously reviewed the document and suggested the complaint was politically motivated.

The candidates also disagreed over whether the Sheriff's Office should take greater responsibility for transporting prisoners on behalf of municipal police departments and whether the department's growing budget has produced sufficient benefits for taxpayers.

Throughout the debate, Cronick pressed the candidates to explain their positions and clarify how their proposals would affect law enforcement operations.

Union Allegations Spark Heated Exchange

Riggin opened the questioning by challenging O'Donoghue's relationship with the officers he supervises.

He said the union, PBA Local 243, had declined to endorse the incumbent after supporting him in a previous election.

"You claim they suddenly decided to stay out of politics, but the truth is they're not happy with your leadership," Riggin said.

Riggin then described an unfair labor practice complaint that he said alleged retaliation against a union representative, including the denial of a promotion and removal from a warrant assignment.

He also alleged that O'Donoghue had made disrespectful remarks about officers during roll calls.

"My question to you is why do you have such a poor relationship with the officers in your agency and what is your plan to repair that relationship?" Riggin asked.

O'Donoghue rejected the characterization.

"Well, first of all, it's anything but poor," the sheriff responded.

He said the allegations concerned an individual employee who was dissatisfied over a promotion issue and insisted the complaint did not represent the views of the entire department.

"Now, as you know, I can't go into this because it's pending, and I'm just seeing it actually for the first time," O'Donoghue said.

He disputed Riggin's description of his leadership and said he would respond to the allegations through the appropriate process.

"I'll answer these charges. I have no problem. I know I'm fair," O'Donoghue said.

Riggin countered that the complaint demonstrated his concerns were not invented for the campaign.

"This was filed by the union president on behalf of the union," Riggin said. "I think it makes clear that there's an issue."

The October 7 complaint described during the debate has not been independently obtained or authenticated by South Jersey NewsBeat. The allegations therefore remain unverified, and no finding of wrongdoing has been established.

A separate, older dispute involving PBA Local 243 and the Sheriff's Office reached the New Jersey Appellate Division in 2021, but that case concerned courthouse staffing under a previous administration and does not substantiate the new allegations against O'Donoghue.

Prisoner Transportation Divides the Candidates

One of the clearest policy disagreements involved whether the Sheriff's Office should provide expanded prisoner transportation services to municipal police departments.

Riggin, a former Pleasantville police chief who currently serves as Atlantic City's public safety director, said his proposal would allow municipal officers to spend more time patrolling neighborhoods rather than transporting prisoners to the county jail.

"I think the best way that the sheriff's office can support crime reduction in Atlantic County is by keeping local cops on local streets," Riggin said.

He argued that the Sheriff's Office should be more responsive to the needs identified by local police chiefs.

"I have no pet projects. My project is what the Atlantic County police chiefs and Atlantic County communities need from us," Riggin said.

O'Donoghue questioned whether the proposal could operate within the department's existing staffing and work schedules.

He said similar programs had been attempted under previous sheriffs without lasting success.

"Prisoner transport didn't work for the last four sheriffs," O'Donoghue said.

The incumbent explained that many Sheriff's Office assignments operate on weekday schedules, while arrests and prisoner transportation needs can arise at any hour.

"I don't know what your plan is or where you plan to get the manpower," he said. "That's certainly going to cost the taxpayers an increase in budget."

O'Donoghue maintained that his department already assists local police agencies when resources are available and that sheriff's officers handle other prisoner-related responsibilities, including court transportation and hospital assignments.

"We serve police agencies. We do it all over this county. We serve everybody," he said.

Riggin argued that existing staffing arrangements should be reviewed before dismissing the idea.

"I've spent a career working with funding agencies to find ways to build efficiencies and to build memorandums of agreement that allow us to do these things," Riggin said.

"I think there's an opportunity here, and while I believe that you can't do it, I believe that I can."

Cronick intervened to clarify the department's hours and learned that O'Donoghue had extended the warrant division's schedule to provide evening coverage.

"I wasn't aware of that," Cronick said. "This is why we do these kind of things."

The candidates' disagreement reflects a practical question: whether shifting prisoner transportation responsibilities to the county would free enough municipal police resources to justify the staffing and operational costs.

Neither candidate presented a detailed cost estimate for Riggin's proposal during the debate.

Atlantic County has separately advertised a 2026 procurement for prisoner transportation services. The existence of that solicitation does not establish that it covers the municipal-to-jail transportation program Riggin proposes.

Sheriff's Office Budget Comes Under Scrutiny

The candidates also exchanged competing claims about the department's finances.

O'Donoghue said his administration had expanded law enforcement services while operating within its approved budget.

He cited an expanded canine unit, additional search-and-rescue capabilities, increased warrant enforcement, motorcycle patrols and new equipment.

The sheriff also said his administration saved taxpayers more than $1 million by bringing Central Municipal Court security responsibilities back under the Sheriff's Office rather than relying on private security.

"We took the responsibility of Central Municipal Court where we saved the taxpayers over a million dollars over the contract versus private security," O'Donoghue said in his opening statement.

Riggin challenged the sheriff's emphasis on staying within budget, arguing that the department's appropriations had increased substantially during his administration.

"The Atlantic County Sheriff's Office has a kind of unheard-of million-dollar year-over-year budget increase," Riggin said.

He described an increase of approximately 22% during O'Donoghue's tenure.

"To say that you're doing all this without costing the taxpayers any extra is a little bit of a stretch," Riggin said.

O'Donoghue defended the spending increases as necessary to cover salaries and operating costs.

"Our budget increases based on salaries, cost of things," he said.

He also noted that the county executive had approved the budget.

Atlantic County's adopted budget records confirm that the Sheriff's Office received increased appropriations between 2024 and 2025.

The department's combined salary and other-expense appropriations rose from approximately $11.54 million in 2024 to $12.68 million in 2025, an increase of roughly $1.14 million, or 9.9%.

Those figures support the existence of a substantial budget increase but do not independently establish Riggin's claimed 22% rise across the entire period. A complete comparison requires the 2026 departmental figures and a consistent accounting of which expenditures are included.

The published appropriations also do not establish whether O'Donoghue exceeded his budget.

Similarly, the sheriff's claim of more than $1 million in savings from the Central Municipal Court security arrangement could not be independently confirmed from the budget summary alone. That calculation would require the relevant contracts and a comparison of security costs.

Both candidates agreed that courthouse security should remain a central responsibility of the Sheriff's Office.

Candidates Find Common Ground on Bail Reform

Despite their disagreements, Riggin and O'Donoghue agreed that New Jersey's criminal justice system needs improvements to address defendants who commit additional offenses while awaiting trial.

Riggin argued that the state's pretrial risk-assessment process should better account for repeat criminal behavior.

He said he had been working with state lawmakers on proposed changes.

"As our county's only elected law enforcement official, you could be advocating for these legislative changes," Riggin told O'Donoghue.

The sheriff agreed with the need for reform but disputed the suggestion that he had been inactive.

"Well, I actually agree with what you're saying, Sean," O'Donoghue responded. "There's one we agree on, my brother."

He said he had worked on criminal justice issues through statewide law enforcement organizations and had testified concerning juvenile justice.

"We know there's change that's necessary," O'Donoghue said.

Riggin welcomed the agreement but urged the sheriff to take a more visible role in advocating for changes.

"I'm disappointed that you haven't taken a more public and sort of provocative role on this issue," Riggin said.

O'Donoghue argued that coordinated advocacy by sheriffs and police chiefs across New Jersey can be more effective than individual action.

Both candidates have also acknowledged in published voter-guide responses that New Jersey's bail reforms shifted pretrial detention decisions toward assessments of risk rather than defendants' ability to pay cash bail.

The Sheriff's Office does not decide whether defendants are released or detained. Those determinations are made by the courts.

Neither candidate presented specific data during Tuesday's debate establishing how frequently defendants released before trial commit new offenses in Atlantic County.

Experience and Leadership Become Personal

The debate grew more pointed when Riggin questioned O'Donoghue's career progression before his election as sheriff.

Riggin described his own experience rising through the Pleasantville Police Department, eventually serving as chief, and his current responsibility overseeing Atlantic City's public safety operations.

He questioned why O'Donoghue had worked for several law enforcement agencies without advancing to a supervisory rank before becoming sheriff.

Riggin also asked whether any of the sheriff's departures from previous agencies had involved dismissal or a request to resign.

O'Donoghue denied that suggestion.

"No, I left on my own accord," he said.

"My career is flawless. I'll match my career against anybody."

The sheriff said his experience in multiple departments gave him a broad understanding of law enforcement throughout Atlantic County.

"I have worked all over this county, and I also had state and federal assignments," O'Donoghue said.

He contrasted his street-level experience with Riggin's administrative background.

"What we bring to the table is the difference between a street cop versus a paper cop," O'Donoghue said.

Riggin rejected the distinction.

"It is not a question of whether you can have a street cop or an administrator. You can have both, and I bring both to the table," Riggin responded.

The candidates also disputed past statements concerning the value of formal education.

Riggin said he had pursued additional education and leadership training to prepare for modern policing responsibilities.

O'Donoghue said he supports education but emphasized the practical experience he gained during his decades in law enforcement.

"My education, my degree is on the street," the sheriff said.

Atlantic County's official biography confirms that O'Donoghue worked for the Hamilton and Mullica Township police departments and previously served in the Sheriff's Office before taking office in January 2024.

The biography does not resolve every question Riggin raised about the sheriff's employment history, and no independent personnel records were presented during the debate.

Officer Mental Health Draws Another Dispute

The candidates also disagreed over their records on officer wellness and mental health.

Riggin said his work as Pleasantville police chief included efforts to improve support for officers dealing with stress, trauma and other challenges.

He discussed involvement in initiatives related to New Jersey's officer resiliency guidelines and mental health services for first responders.

Riggin criticized comments he attributed to O'Donoghue concerning officers who retired for mental health reasons.

"I don't think that we need to be guilting our officers for PTSD," Riggin said.

He argued that police officers exposed to traumatic incidents must be able to seek assistance without fear of criticism.

O'Donoghue denied disparaging officers who retired because of job-related mental health concerns.

"I wasn't guilting anybody for retiring due to their job duty," the sheriff said. "If anything, I respect that."

He said his administration supports continued training and wellness resources for sheriff's officers.

"We have people trained in that. We send people for continued training for that," O'Donoghue said.

The exchange broadened into a disagreement about the expectations placed on law enforcement leaders.

O'Donoghue emphasized his willingness to work nights, weekends and holidays.

Riggin argued that effective leadership also requires modeling a healthy balance between professional responsibilities and personal life.

"I am not afraid of hard work. I have never been afraid of hard work," Riggin said.

"But I am also proud of the camping trips that I took with my Cub Scouts."

Riggin said police officers need opportunities to maintain their health and relationships outside work.

"I think our police officers need to be complete people. They need to be complete community leaders, and they need to keep their head right and in the game," he said.

Both candidates said officer wellness is important, but they disputed each other's interpretation of earlier statements and actions.

Cronick Calls for More Countywide Discussion

As the debate approached its conclusion, Cronick said he appreciated the candidates' participation and believed listeners had gained a clearer understanding of their differences.

But he also raised a concern about the geographic focus of the discussion.

"I'd like to hear more regarding the sheriff's office when it comes to outside of Atlantic City," Cronick said.

"I think that a lot of it is Atlantic City-centric, and I know Atlantic City is a major part of what you guys have to deal with."

Cronick said voters in other Atlantic County communities also deserve to hear how the candidates intend to serve their needs.

"I think sometimes we lose focus of what's outside of the Atlantic City parameters, or in just the courthouse parameters," he said.

His observation highlighted an issue that received comparatively little attention during the debate: how the Sheriff's Office should allocate resources among Atlantic City's public safety needs, county courthouse responsibilities and the smaller municipalities throughout Atlantic County.

Closing Statements Highlight Different Priorities

Riggin used his closing statement to emphasize his administrative experience, bipartisan approach and proposal to support local police departments.

He said he would conduct a comprehensive review of Sheriff's Office operations and seek opportunities to improve efficiency.

"I'll rise to the challenge of taking on jail runs to free up local cops," Riggin said.

He also criticized the sheriff's budget increases and argued that his own experience managing difficult financial circumstances had prepared him to make more efficient use of county resources.

Riggin thanked O'Donoghue for participating.

"Whatever decision you come to, I want to thank everyone for coming and hearing us out, for being part of this democratic process," he told listeners.

O'Donoghue closed by defending his administration's record and reiterating his commitment to public safety.

He again cited expanded specialized units, warrant enforcement, courthouse security and his long law enforcement career.

"Public safety has never been just a job to me. It's been my life's commitment," O'Donoghue said.

He argued that his administration had delivered measurable results and deserved another term.

"Promises made, promises kept. Results mattered," he said.

Cronick concluded by thanking both candidates and praising their willingness to debate.

"I think great arguments on both sides," Cronick said.

He added that the discussion demonstrated the importance of giving voters opportunities to hear directly from candidates for local office.

Voters Decide November 3

The debate exposed significant differences over how Atlantic County's Sheriff's Office should operate.

Riggin favors a management review and an expanded role supporting municipal police departments, particularly through prisoner transportation.

O'Donoghue argues that his administration has already expanded public safety services while maintaining fiscal discipline and that Riggin's transportation proposal would create additional staffing and financial demands.

The candidates also remain divided over labor relations and leadership, although both expressed support for changes to bail reform and for officer mental health programs.

Several factual questions remain unresolved, including the status and merits of the union complaint, the complete three-year budget comparison, the documented savings from courthouse security changes and the cost of expanding prisoner transportation.

Voters will choose between the two candidates in the November 3 election.

The Atlantic County sheriff candidates' debate aired Tuesday, October 27, on Off The Press with Scott Cronick, heard weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m. on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND. The full debate is available through WOND's podcast programming.