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J.E. “Joe” Carey Sr. is running for sheriff of Charlotte County. Carey is a lifelong resident of Charlotte County with more than 39 years of law enforcement experience.

A desire to provide the best service and protection he can to the citizens of Charlotte County is driving Carey as he campaigns around the county. “It’s a widespread county, but I’m doing all I can to get out and meet everyone. It’s very beneficial to me as well as to them because citizens have been informing me of a lot of things going on that law enforcement  needs to know about,” he said. “My driving force for running for sheriff is the terrible toll recreational drugs are taking on our young people. Overdoses and occasional deaths are all too common and are almost an everyday thing in some parts of our county as well as the whole country. Drug cartels are bringing in drugs that pass on down to the street dealers around here. One or two law enforcement officers cannot stop this problem. We need the entire force as well as our citizens working as hard as they can to tackle it. The toll it is taking on our youth is unimaginable.”

Carey is currently serving as the police chief in the Town of Brodnax which straddles Mecklenburg and Brunswick counties. He is married to the former Beverly Bailey of Wylliesburg. The couple resides in Wylliesburg and have three sons and two granddaughters.

Carey is a graduate of Randolph-Henry High School and attended Southside Virginia Community College in Keysville where he majored in business and accounting. He grew up in rural Charlotte County and is a lifelong farmer. Carey operated a contracting business and a business installing garage doors for several years.

He was employed by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office for 26 years before leaving the department in 2003 to run for Charlotte County Sheriff.

While employed there, he worked as chief jailer, road deputy, was a member of the Tri-County Narcotics Task Force, and as a special officer of VASP.

A great deal of his experience in law enforcement has dealt with specialty training that includes breathalyzers and radar, narcotics interdiction, and sex crime investigation.

Membership in the South Hill Fraternal Order of Police Lodge is something near and dear to his heart where he has loved working for several years with the “Shop with a Cop” Christmas program to help provide for local youngsters.

Carey served for eight years on the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors representing the Red Oak/ Wylliesburg District. He also served on the Crossroads Community Services Board for 11 years. Carey was a member of the Bacon District Volunteer Fire Department for 35 years and the Charlotte County Volunteer Rescue Squad for eight years. He is a member of Wylliesburg Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Being a member of the former Bacon District Ruritan Club and serving on the board of the Barksdale Cancer Foundation for several years means a lot to him.

He has helped raise thousands of dollars for special causes and various organizations in the county. “I have never been too busy to help a friend, neighbor or stranger,” he said. “My heart truly is in helping others, I am glad to go that extra step to provide assistance to our citizens.”

If elected sheriff of Charlotte County, Carey vows to be fiscally conservative with tax dollars, be visible and transparent. He states that he will do everything in his power to combat the drug problem, because too many lives are being ruined and lost due to drugs as well as family’s being destroyed and suffering. Carey stated he would work to promote and build strong public relations which he considers to be essential to effective law enforcement. His ultimate goal is to be known as the peoples sheriff serving the citizens of Charlotte County and working to build and improve the County for future generations.

Contact Carey directly at (434) 547- 5058.

Your vote and support would be greatly appreciated on Nov. 5.