O'Donoghue, Riggin Offer Competing Visions for Atlantic County Sheriff's Office Ahead of Tuesday's Election

In separate WOND interviews, incumbent sheriff defends expanded traffic enforcement and existing operations while challenger calls for more prisoner transportation, staffing changes and support for local police.

ATLANTIC COUNTY, N.J. — With Atlantic County voters preparing to choose their next sheriff Tuesday, incumbent Republican Joseph “Tokyo Joe” O'Donoghue and Democratic challenger Sean Riggin are offering sharply different views of how the Sheriff's Office should operate, spend taxpayer money and support municipal police departments.

The candidates outlined their positions in separate appearances on The Don Williams Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, with Riggin appearing October 29 and O'Donoghue responding Monday, November 2.

Their disagreement centers on a fundamental question: Should the Sheriff's Office continue expanding its own law enforcement activities, including traffic enforcement and specialized operations, or redirect more of its resources toward services that allow municipal police officers to remain on patrol?

Both candidates have decades of law enforcement experience. Both say they want to improve public safety and cooperate with local police departments.

But their approaches to accomplishing those goals differ considerably.

Prisoner Transportation Remains Central Disagreement

Riggin, a former Pleasantville police chief and Atlantic City's public safety director, says his highest operational priority would be expanding prisoner transportation services for municipal police departments.

He argues that local officers spend too much time transporting detainees to the Atlantic County Justice Facility, removing them from neighborhood patrols and emergency response.

"What I've said, you know, clearly throughout this campaign is that I think that we should be using our Atlantic County Sheriff's officers to support our local PDs in the ways that those local PDs want the support," Riggin told Williams.

"And what we've heard most clearly is they want prisoner transport."

Riggin believes the county could help municipalities maintain patrol coverage by taking over more of those transportation duties.

"What I've offered as an alternative is that every one of our police officers in the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office is going to be dedicated to trying to help the local PDs keep their officers on the street," he said.

O'Donoghue strongly disputes whether such a program could be implemented with existing staffing.

During Monday's interview, he argued that previous sheriffs had explored similar arrangements without finding a sustainable solution.

"He talks about prisoner transport, but has no plan," O'Donoghue said.

The sheriff explained that much of his department operates on a weekday schedule, while a separate warrant division works during evening hours.

"First of all, we're an operation that is 8:30 to 4:30, a Monday-through-Friday operation," O'Donoghue said. "And we have a shift that works at night. They're the warrant division. They're greatly needed."

He said those officers already handle dangerous assignments and are sometimes reassigned to other duties to avoid overtime expenses.

O'Donoghue maintains that an expanded transportation program would require additional personnel and funding because arrests can occur at any hour.

Riggin believes a comprehensive review of existing assignments could identify opportunities to provide the service without automatically increasing staffing.

"I don't want to show up in office and start telling everybody I know what's best," Riggin said. "I want to show up in the office and say, what do you need? How do you need it? And then how do we make it happen?"

Neither candidate has provided a complete public cost analysis establishing how many additional prisoner transports could be handled, how many officers would be needed or whether the proposal would increase county expenses.

O'Donoghue Defends Expanded Traffic Enforcement

While Riggin emphasizes support for municipal police departments, O'Donoghue says his administration has already expanded the Sheriff's Office's contribution to countywide public safety.

The incumbent pointed to a substantial increase in traffic enforcement.

"Listen, we've increased our traffic enforcement in three years, 800 percent, not 100 percent," O'Donoghue said Monday. "The actual number is 800 percent."

The sheriff said traffic enforcement was limited when he took office and that his administration retrained officers and provided equipment needed to conduct motor vehicle stops.

He also described cooperation among the Sheriff's Office, Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and municipal police chiefs.

"We are a supportive and augmentative agency," O'Donoghue said.

"I don't come into a town and try to take over their traffic."

He said the department participates in coordinated traffic enforcement operations and assists communities that may lack the personnel or resources to conduct additional enforcement independently.

"There's 23 municipalities in this county," O'Donoghue said, emphasizing that the Sheriff's Office serves communities throughout Atlantic County.

The reported 800% increase was not accompanied by underlying enforcement totals, a specific baseline or an independently verified comparison.

An increase in traffic enforcement activity also does not, by itself, establish a corresponding reduction in crashes, injuries or fatalities.

Riggin has questioned whether some of the Sheriff's Office's expanded activities represent the most effective use of its personnel.

He argues that helping municipal departments keep officers on patrol would produce a more direct public safety benefit.

The disagreement reflects competing approaches to the county agency's role: direct enforcement by sheriff's officers versus support services intended to increase the availability of municipal police officers.

Candidates Disagree Over Courthouse Staffing

Riggin says he would conduct a comprehensive review of Sheriff's Office personnel assignments, particularly at county court facilities.

During his October 29 interview, he suggested that changes in courthouse operations may have reduced the need for some existing assignments.

"I'd like to take a look at the operations from the top down," Riggin said.

He claimed that in-person courthouse visits have declined approximately 40% without a comparable reduction in staffing.

"So I think there's probably some economy to be gained there, some cops to put back out on the street," he said.

That 40% figure has not been independently confirmed, and the interview did not establish the comparison period or whether fewer courthouse visitors would translate into reduced security requirements.

Court security includes protecting judges, court employees, jurors and members of the public, as well as handling detainees and responding to emergencies.

O'Donoghue argues that his opponent underestimates the range of responsibilities performed by sheriff's officers.

During Monday's interview, he emphasized warrant enforcement, civil process, evictions and courthouse operations.

"My opponent has absolutely no civil litigation knowledge or experience. I do," O'Donoghue claimed.

He said civil responsibilities account for a substantial portion of the department's work and require specialized knowledge.

Riggin, meanwhile, points to his experience managing police departments and public safety operations as preparation for reviewing the agency's organization.

The candidates have not released comparable staffing plans detailing which positions they would maintain, eliminate or reassign.

Budget Claims Become Major Campaign Issue

Spending is another significant area of disagreement.

Riggin has criticized increases in the Sheriff's Office budget during O'Donoghue's administration and questioned whether those expenditures have produced sufficient benefits.

O'Donoghue rejected suggestions that his department has exceeded its approved budget.

"His numbers aren't correct," the sheriff told Williams on Monday.

He argued that some of the increases cited by Riggin cover multiple years, including periods before O'Donoghue became sheriff in January 2024.

The incumbent also pointed to contractual salary obligations and the department's assumption of security responsibilities at the county's Central Municipal Court.

"We took over the county municipal court," O'Donoghue said. "And that required salary increases, that's contractual."

He claimed the county saved approximately $1 million by changing the way court security was provided.

"We saved a million dollars over the course of these contracts," he said.

O'Donoghue insisted that his administration has operated within the spending limits established by county government.

"We have stayed within the allotted budget by our executive in his office," he said. "We have not gone over budget."

Published Atlantic County budget figures previously reviewed by South Jersey NewsBeat show that the Sheriff's Office's combined salary and other-expense appropriations increased from approximately $11.54 million in 2024 to $12.68 million in 2025.

That represents an increase of about $1.14 million, or 9.9%, between those two budget years.

The increase in appropriations does not establish that the department exceeded its approved budget.

Likewise, remaining within an approved budget does not establish that spending has remained unchanged.

The candidates' broader competing claims about multi-year spending increases and savings from municipal court security would require a consistent comparison of departmental budgets, staffing costs and the contracts involved.

Neither candidate's interview provided a complete financial analysis resolving those questions.

Sheriff Says More Than 200 Applied for Three Openings

O'Donoghue also used Monday's interview to challenge suggestions that employee morale has deteriorated under his administration.

Responding to a caller's question about recruitment, the sheriff said his department recently attracted substantial interest in a small number of positions.

"We had three job openings. We had over 200 applicants," O'Donoghue said.

He also said officers have transferred to the Sheriff's Office from other law enforcement agencies.

"Anybody says morale's down. Well, guess what? They're coming in flocks and groves to work here," he said.

O'Donoghue described the department as nearly fully staffed.

The application figure has not been independently verified through personnel records, and the number of applicants does not necessarily establish the views of current employees.

During the candidates' October 27 debate on Off The Press with Scott Cronick, Riggin raised concerns about labor relations, citing an unfair labor practice complaint he said had been filed by the union representing sheriff's officers.

O'Donoghue disputed the allegations and defended his treatment of employees.

The complaint's allegations have not been independently established as findings of wrongdoing.

Riggin has said that improving communication with officers and rebuilding confidence in department leadership would be priorities if he wins.

"I think one of the things that is really important is to just sort of reestablish some good relations with the officers themselves," he told Williams.

O'Donoghue maintains that his department's recruitment efforts and expanded operations demonstrate that the agency is moving in the right direction.

Different Views of Law Enforcement Experience

Both candidates are presenting their professional backgrounds as evidence that they are prepared to lead the Sheriff's Office.

O'Donoghue emphasizes his decades of street-level law enforcement experience, including work in municipal departments, warrant enforcement and civil process.

He also points to his previous service in Egg Harbor Township government.

"I have political experience," O'Donoghue said Monday. "I was everything from township committee to run Egg Harbor Township, along with some great people, to becoming the sheriff."

He argues that the elected sheriff must understand both law enforcement and the political process involved in negotiating budgets and working with county officials.

Riggin emphasizes his experience rising through the Pleasantville Police Department to become chief, followed by his leadership role in Atlantic City's public safety administration.

He says his background managing personnel, budgets and interagency relationships would help him reorganize the Sheriff's Office.

Riggin has also discussed crime reduction efforts during his tenure in Pleasantville, including additional patrol activity and cooperation with residents.

The candidates disagree about which experience is most relevant to the sheriff's responsibilities.

O'Donoghue stresses firsthand familiarity with the duties performed by sheriff's officers.

Riggin argues that executive leadership and organizational management are equally important.

Both Candidates Want Changes to Bail Reform

Despite their disagreements, Riggin and O'Donoghue share concerns about New Jersey's criminal justice system.

Riggin has criticized the handling of repeat arrests involving defendants who are released while awaiting trial.

"We have a huge problem with bail reform in Atlantic County," he said during his October 29 interview.

He believes the state's pretrial risk-assessment system should place greater emphasis on repeated criminal behavior and pending charges.

O'Donoghue has also called for changes to aspects of bail reform and has said he works with statewide law enforcement organizations on legislative issues.

During their October 27 debate, the sheriff acknowledged that he and Riggin agreed on the need for some changes.

The candidates differ over how prominently the sheriff should advocate for legislative reforms.

Riggin wants the county's elected sheriff to take a more visible role in pushing for changes.

O'Donoghue favors working through established law enforcement organizations and coordinated efforts involving police chiefs and sheriffs.

Under New Jersey law, pretrial detention decisions are made by judges, not sheriffs.

Those decisions can consider the seriousness of the charges, criminal history, pending charges, risks to public safety and other legally relevant factors.

Neither candidate's latest interview established how frequently people released before trial are arrested again in Atlantic County.

O'Donoghue Says He Would Continue Current Direction

Asked Monday what he would do differently if reelected, O'Donoghue emphasized maintaining fiscal controls and continuing the programs his administration has introduced.

"I plan to keep budget where it exists and keep it where it should be," he said.

He also stressed his personal involvement in community events and law enforcement activities.

"I believe you should be a sheriff that's out in the community, not behind a podium," he said.

The sheriff said he considers community engagement an essential part of the job and believes the department should continue supporting municipalities throughout Atlantic County.

Riggin has emphasized a different approach, promising to assess operations before determining how personnel and resources should be deployed.

He said his goal would be to help municipal police chiefs meet the needs of their communities rather than impose a single countywide policing strategy.

"I'm a firm advocate that we should provide support to those communities in the way that they want it," Riggin said.

Voters Face Clear Operational Differences

Tuesday's election will determine whether Atlantic County continues under O'Donoghue's existing approach or adopts the organizational changes proposed by Riggin.

O'Donoghue is defending an administration that he says has increased traffic enforcement, expanded law enforcement capabilities, improved recruitment and operated within approved budgets.

Riggin is proposing a review of staffing and expenditures, greater emphasis on prisoner transportation and a support-oriented approach designed to keep municipal police officers on patrol.

The unresolved questions are largely operational and financial.

Can the Sheriff's Office expand prisoner transportation without hiring additional officers? Would reassignment of courthouse personnel affect security? How much have departmental costs increased, and what savings have resulted from changes already implemented? Has expanded traffic enforcement improved roadway safety?

The candidates have offered different answers, but comprehensive operational and financial records would be needed to fully evaluate those claims.

Atlantic County voters will make their choice Tuesday, November 3.

Sheriff Joseph O'Donoghue appeared November 2, and challenger Sean Riggin appeared October 29, on The Don Williams Show, heard weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND. Both candidates also participated in an October 27 debate on Off The Press with Scott Cronick, heard weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m. on WOND.