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“I’d never even thought about being a police officer. It was the furthest thing from my mind,” he said.

“After I got out of the Army, I didn’t do anything for about three months. I’d hang around with the old guys up in Callao at the store and we’d play dominoes and one of the old guys, one day, he said, ‘Wayne, what are you going to do with your life?’ and I said, ‘You know, I really don’t know.’

“And he said, ‘Why don’t you go up to the sheriff’s office and apply. They have an opening for a dispatcher.”

Twenty-one years old and fresh off a tour in Vietnam, Wayne didn’t have much interest in working at the sheriff’s office, but he took his friend’s advice anyway, applied and got the job.

Thirty-five years later, he is retiring from the only career he has ever known, handing the reins over to the next generation. He has risen through the ranks, from dispatcher and jailer, to deputy, to investigator and finally to sheriff.

He has served Northumberland County as sheriff for 16 years, running unopposed in every election since his first. During his tenure, he has seen the department triple in size, and he has seen the jail population explode.

He also has ushered in many changes, from the brave new world of technology to a staff that is 30 percent African American.

“I’ve got kinda mixed feelings about retiring,” he said, looking out the slit windows behind his desk, the only evidence that his office used to be a jail cell. “I had really planned to stay for four more years, but because of medical reasons I decided to retire.”

“I am going to try to enjoy it,” he added. “I don’t know what its going to be like not getting up and coming to work every day. Since I was 21, this was the only job I’ve ever had. I’ve been getting up in the morning and coming to the same place for 35 years.”

Looking back on his career as sheriff, Wayne says that, for the most part, he’s done what he set out to do.

“When I took office, I wanted a department where people could work and be happy. I wanted a department that would work with all the agencies around . . . and I also wanted a department that was more diverse as far as race is concerned. I really think that over the years we have accomplished those goals.”

When Wayne joined the sheriff’s office in March of 1972, the entire staff consisted of four deputies, two jailers and a matron.

“Right now we have 18 deputies, including a captain, two investigators, school resource officers, court deputies and an animal control officer,” he said. In all, nearly 30 people work in the sheriff’s office, including dispatchers and administrative personnel.

Deputies now patrol the roads 24 hours a day.

The growing department has been a response to changing times in the Northern Neck. Incarceration rates have risen along with crime.

“Back then we averaged about three prisoners a day,” Wayne said. “Today we’re averaging just under 50.”

Seven years ago, the sheriff’s office had completely outgrown the jail, which was still housed at headquarters in Heathsville. The county seriously considered building a new 50-man jail at the time, since there was great opposition to joining the regional jail.

Citizens groups were concerned about people having to drive to Warsaw to visit family members and about the jailers already employed in Northumberland. Wayne lobbied for joining the regional jail; “The day of the ma and pa jails is over with,” he said.”

By a 3-2 vote, the board of supervisors decided to take his advice.

It was a wise decision as it turns out, Wayne said. “By the time we finished building that jail, it would already have been over capacity.”

Around the same time, the county was having problems with animal control, and the board of supervisors asked Wayne to take it over, which he did.

Wayne hired a new animal control officer and met with the major organizations concerned about animal rights, the Animal Welfare League and Humane Society. Together they looked at the shelter and came up with a plan for improving conditions for the animals.

“That was probably one of my best accomplishments since I’ve been here.”

While the county still owns and operates the shelter and funds animal control, volunteers are now responsible for providing the physical labor of caring for the animals’ day-to-day needs and finding them good homes.

Donations from the community and fund-raising events have paid to completely remodel the building, adding on an administrative area, a cat wing, and a newly remodeled dog kennel with outdoor runs.

Those improvements should allow the county to house wayward animals even longer, although last year the shelter was able to find homes for every adoptable dog it rescued, Wayne noted.

“I’m very proud of the animal shelter we’ve got now. I think that when we finish the phase we’re working on now, if it’s not the best, it will be right up there with the best in the state of Virginia,” Wayne said.

Some of the other changes Wayne has made have been less noticeable to the public eye. He changed the badge— “We were the last county in the state to go from a shield to a star,” he said. He changed the guns, he redesigned the uniform patch and changed the color of the sheriff’s cars from brown to white.

“I always liked the consistency of every sheriff’s office car in the state being the same color,” he said. But when the General Assembly approved a law allowing sheriff’s vehicles to be any color, Wayne adopted white because it’s cheaper.

“Car dealers would actually charge more for you to get the ugliest color available, which is brown,” he said.

Technology has completely changed the way the sheriff’s department operates, and Wayne has been on the cutting edge since the get-go.

“When I first started here, I was the only person in the building that could type,” he said. “We went from that to now when everything is digital and computerized. We fingerprint people, and we send them online and we can get mugshots back in an instant from all over the country. There’s been a lot of real improvements to law enforcement through technology. It’s probably been the biggest change since I’ve been here. We’ve come a long way.”

Unlike John Wayne’s gunslinging days as sheriff in the old westerns, the hardest part of the being a sheriff today is dealing with the budget, Wayne said.

“Deciding what to purchase with the funds you’ve got and making it last from July to July is one of the hardest things you have to do,” he said. Wayne manages almost a $1.2 million budget, $700,000 of which pays for salaries.

Looking ahead, Wayne said the sheriff’s department is facing even tighter budget crunches.

“The state keeps backing off of their responsibility to fund law enforcement and it’s constantly adding unfunded mandates to the sheriff’s office and the counties and you have to find a way to pay for it,” he said.

Wayne foresees other new challenges for incoming Sheriff Chuck Wilkins.

“The next big thing, I think, is going to be the same thing the whole nation is going to have to tackle; and that’s basically dealing with illegal immigrants,” he said. “From my personal dealings, I find that approximately one in 100 are legal. The majority are illegal.”

The trouble, Wayne said, is identifying the good guys and the bad guys.

“We’ve got a lot of good, hard-working immigrants in this county, but we’ve also got our share of thugs,” he said.

“We’re working a homicide right now that involved at least two of them. It’s difficult to work when you can’t run a background check, when you can’t find out what kind of person you’re dealing with. It’s going to be a problem that filters all the way down to us here,” he said.

Wayne said he’s leaving the incoming sheriff a few cases he really wishes he could have solved before he retired. One is a break-in and a fire at Callao Car Center. Another is a robbery on Ridge Road. The most important case of all, Wayne said, is the homicide of a Bromley man who was found drowned in Lodge Creek.

“All these cases are still really active. I think there’s a real good chance that two of the three will be solved,” he said.

His advice for the sheriff-elect? “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

“If you are wrong, admit you’re wrong,” he said. “Don’t try to hide, don’t try to cover up. Just tell things like they are. Most people understand that the world’s not perfect and people do make mistakes.”

As sheriff, Wayne said, “You’ve got to be flexible. You’ve got to be cordial and you’ve got to be able to work with a lot of people.”

Wayne said his job now is to focus on enjoying his retirement. There is a list of things around the house that need doing. He used to be an avid fishermen and wants to get back into that. He said he also plans to continue volunteering time with the animal shelter.

Imagining himself sitting on the other side of that dominoes game today with a young man who’s just returned from Iraq, Wayne said he would make the same recommendation that was made to him.

“If you don’t have a college degree, there aren’t that many options for work here in the county. This is what I consider to be one of the better jobs in the community. The benefits are good. The pay is improving. It’s a rewarding career for the right person.”

As for his own career, Wayne said: “I’ve really enjoyed it. Sometimes you feel like you’ve never worked a day in your life. Thirty-five years just flies by.”





“I have worked closely with Sheriff Middleton and it has always been a pleasure. Wayne is the type of person that looks out for the safety of the citizens and especially his employees.

He would never ask anyone to do something that he was not willing to do himself and took full responsibility over his department.

I will miss our relationship, but look forward to seeing Wayne more relaxed in retirement. I have the utmost respect for him.”

-Kenny Eades,

Northumberland County Administrator



“Wayne Middleton is one of the reasons I went into law enforcement. I spent a lot of time riding with Wayne when I started working here as a part-time deputy. He always kept this department on the cutting edge; for a small department with a limited budget, we are always one of the first to try new technology. He brought the first computer into the Sheriff’s Office. Now we’re installing them in our patrol cars.

I know I’ve got some mighty big shoes to fill. Sheriff Middleton has promised to continue to work with the department on special projects, and I’m going to hold him to it. I am really fortunate to have him to call on for advice; he’s a wealth of knowledge.

A lot of new sheriffs have to rebuild their department when they take office. I’m lucky all I need to do is carry on. He’s built a strong, well-respected team of officers.”

- Sheriff-elect Chuck Wilkins



“First, it has been a joy to work with Wayne. He is first and foremost a true police investigator. He has contributed to every big case both directly and by his intellect. Wayne seldom made the wrong call on investigations. He has a great personality and is a great interviewer.

Secondly, Wayne truly brought the Sheriff’s Office into the 21st century. He pursued new technologies and oversaw the expansion of the force, bringing in a better trained and more professional force. He has staffed his department with outstanding officers who know and reflect the community they serve.

Lastly, Wayne has been a great partner to work with. When I got elected, I had some new ideas and Wayne was willing to give them a try. For example when I proposed a multi-jurisdictional grand jury, Wayne was skeptical, but took a chance, supporting my idea. Over time he recognized its value and has been one of the grand jury’s best supporters. Wayne is a true friend and I will miss him. No doubt our county will miss his leadership.”

- Northumberland Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike McKenney



“I would like to recognize all the people who have worked for me, and my family: my wife who puts up with me and the phone calls and the leaving at night, and my three children who put up with the fact that their father was sheriff while they going through the school system.

- Sheriff Wayne Middleton, on his retirement