December 2nd, 2025
Chris Sutton Launches Reform-Driven Bid for Cecil County Sheriff
NORTH EAST, MD — December 1, 2025 — In an in-studio interview with Cecil TV political correspondent Grant Handley, Republican candidate for Cecil County Sheriff Chris Sutton outlined a platform centered on rebuilding trust, restoring community policing, and confronting what he describes as a “broken culture” inside the Sheriff’s Office.
Sutton, a lifelong Cecil County resident and retired Sheriff’s Office veteran with nearly 22 years of service, said he felt compelled to run because the county he grew up in “is not the same place” today. “I just couldn’t sit back anymore,” he said. “There’s a chance I could make a difference… I still have the passion to do it.”
Community Policing as the Core of His Platform
Sutton emphasized that community policing—once considered basic law enforcement practice—has eroded over the years. He criticized the lack of meaningful officer presence in neighborhoods, businesses, and youth spaces.
“Nobody knows the community better than the community,” Sutton said. “If we’re not working with them, we’re not going to get it done.”
He pledged that if elected sheriff, he would not remain behind a desk. Instead, he promised visible foot patrols, direct engagement, and a continuation of his current campaign initiative, Sutton on Scene, which brings him to communities for open conversations.
School Safety: Calls for More Resource Officers
On school safety, Sutton expressed concern that Cecil County is “not doing enough” to prevent the types of tragedies seen nationally. With only five deputies assigned to 19 schools, he argued the system is stretched too thin.
Sutton unveiled, for the first time publicly, a plan to bolster school security using a contractual model borrowed from other Maryland counties: hiring recently retired, fully certified officers to serve in schools during the academic year.
“We can do this without adding full-time benefits,” he said. “Other counties are doing it successfully. We should be, too.”
287(g) Immigration Partnership: Sutton Says It Will Continue
Cecil County is one of nine Maryland jurisdictions participating in the federal 287(g) program, allowing trained detention officers to assist ICE with immigration enforcement inside the jail.
Sutton said he supports continuing the agreement.
“We’re not out to violate anybody’s rights,” he said, noting it applies only to individuals who commit crimes. “But if someone violates the law in this county, we will work with ICE as needed.”
Recruitment, Retention, and Internal Culture Problems
Sutton criticized the Sheriff’s Office for severe staffing shortages he says affect public safety and officer morale.
Citing figures from recent annual reports and public information requests, he noted multi-year vacancy levels in both patrol and the detention center. Even with recent pay increases, he said retention remains a serious issue driven by culture, not compensation.
“Pay attracts people. The environment keeps them,” Sutton said.
He also raised concerns about long response times, referencing reports of armed robbery calls taking up to 20 minutes. “That’s unacceptable,” he said. “Where is the leadership?”
Plans to Rebuild Units Cut Under Current Leadership
Sutton pledged to restore two units he says are essential but have been “abolished” in recent years:
Traffic Enforcement Unit — to address what he described as increasingly dangerous road conditions.
Street Level Crime Unit — to target drug distribution networks amid rising fentanyl-related harm.
“These drugs are killing our families,” he said. “We’re bringing this unit back, and fast.”
Restructuring Sheriff’s Office Administration
Sutton argued that the department’s administrative structure is “top heavy,” claiming 13 administrative roles oversee a minimum patrol staffing level of just five deputies per shift.
“There’s no way it takes 13 people to manage five,” he said, suggesting reassignment could immediately bolster operational capacity without increasing the budget.
A Campaign Built on Accessibility
Sutton encouraged voters to visit his website and engage with him directly. “I’m available. I want your questions,” he said. He also previewed an upcoming rollout of his full leadership team, which he said brings “energy and a new way of thinking.”
“We need change,” Sutton said in closing. “And I believe my team and I are that change.”
