MEMBERS: Register | Login

Causey announces retirement

Submitted by WWAY on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 1:01pm.READ MORE:

New Hanover County Sheriff Sid Causey surprised a lot of people when he announced his retirement Tuesday. At age 64, Sheriff Causey is taking the county's golden parachute, the early retirement package aimed at trimming New Hanover County's payroll. WWAY’s Jenna Caiazzo sat down with Sheriff Causey late this afternoon and spoke to him about his 39 years with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department. Sid Causey's career in law enforcement started on a whim. Back in 1970, Causey quit his job in construction and took a position as a police officer at Carolina Beach. "Children growing up have ambitions to be firemen, doctors, lawyers, and everything, and I never thought I had a desire to be a law enforcement officer,” Causey said. It wasn't until he cracked his first breaking and entering case that he said, he was hooked on fighting crime. He's come a long way since the days of the Carolina Beach PD, where he said the two police vehicles each had more than 150,000 miles on them. “Six days a week, no overtime, no flex time, one pair of pants and two shirts." At 25, he moved on to the New Hanover County Sheriff's Department where he got his feet wet in every department: patrol, criminal investigations and vice narcotics. Thirty-nine years later, Sheriff Sid Causey said it's time for something new. “Its just going to be a new time in our lives, I'm a little anxious about it, I'll be around, it's not like I'm moving out of town. I'll check on them, see if they're doing things right, and if they aren't I'll let them know, ha ha." Causey will step down on July the first. He will then make a nomination to the Democratic Party for someone within the office to take over for the interim. That person will fill in through December. At that point, the party will make another nomination, and there will be an election for a new sheriff.

Disclaimer: Comments posted on this, or any story are opinions of those people posting them, and not the views or opinions of WWAY NewsChannel 3, its management or employees. You can view our comment policy here.

Add new comment

Sheriff Causey

Submitted by Guest123 (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 7:31pm.

I glad that he's gone. He did a bad job of running New Hanover County Sheirff. When Joe McQueeen was in there we didn't have half the problems we have now. Do all us a favor and go. You deputies all mess up too and anytime one of your offices rape a child need to be under a jail house and any to time your offices killes a person and then try to sugar coated dont' need to be in offices. everytime I turn around you are always in the spot light and I'm glad that you are gone and so are other people. You did nothing but cause more headach then try to fix the real problem with drugs, gangs and child not being protected, ect. I hope that Joe MCQueen come back so we can feel safe in house and or child can be safe also.

Sheriff Causey's influence will determine our future Sheriff

Submitted by jouster (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 5:37pm.

His supporters are many. So are Sheriff McQueens'. McQuenn supports Causey. Whoever they support for Sheriff will be our next Sheriff for years to come. My guess is get ready for years of Sheriff Ed McMahon. Here's Johnny! Love the name. Brings back memories of late night tv when I was younger. I know people who are close to the McMahons. They speak very highly of the moral fiber of the man. I look forward to meeting him. Though I didn't vote for Causey, I recognize the difficulties of the job he faced. I believe it was a good time for a change. Keep up the good job men and women of law enforcement.

Chief Mcmahon will be a great Sheriff

Submitted by Kara M (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 3:43pm.

Chief Deputy Mcmahon is a wonderful person. He was my School resource officer back in the early 1990'2 at Laney high school. Everyone loved him. Having two children of my own now,I would trust Chief McMahon with my children's safety. I look forward to supporting McMahon!

Thanks for a job well done

Submitted by Gene Tilly (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 2:36pm.

It is my distinct pleasure to have known our sheriff for a number of years. He is not only an outstanding sheriff, but an asset to New Hanover County. He will be missed and who ever steps in will have big shoes to fill. Thank you sheriff for a job well done.

sid causey

Submitted by crime free citizen (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 2:19pm.

I have been living in Wilmington for more than 40 years. Sid could never fill the shoes of Joe McQueen. Joe never costs the taxpayers 2+ million. JOe left the office of sheriff with dignity and honor. Sid's tenure was tainted by poorly trained swat wannabees and a laughing stock of law enforcement. Tom Radewitz was better than Sid!!! Funeral Tazing???come on people the whole country was laughing at this. I'M curious as to what other lawsuits against the sheriff's dept are on the books pending trial. hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm???????????? don"t retire Sid.... Apply for the job at UNCW' Campus police. There's another joke. rapist ,murderes drug dealers. While the campus police cruise around checking out the skirts. Real professional guys

So run for sheriff

Submitted by amazed (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 5:45pm.

Since you obviously know so much about how to run a police department, you should run for sheriff. That way, the officers will be subject to every public whim, and can use the news stations as their unbiased evaluation tool! It is a good thing you are here to gauge the quality of the "swat wannabes" based on your first hand experience. If you want to offer such a caustic opinion of a group of people, you should do your research first, and not let the media think for you. Being a part of emergency services, I work with the patrol deputies and "swat wannabes" regularly. I am continually impressed with their level of training and professionalism, and I am happy that they do not have your attitude, because I have to trust them with my life. You can agree or disagree with what the sheriff does as a matter of policy, but please do not insult the hard working men and women who risk their lives daily for your safety, especially based on a situation you know nothing about.

Sheriff Causey Resigns

Submitted by cintrek (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 12:18pm.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your dedicated service to our community. I remember when you served at Carolina Beach. When I was a teenager at CB I was date raped, beaten & kidnapped, he was 19 & I was 17. A dear friend saw me & rescued me. Sid Causey was there to take the report & worked tirelessly (nearly a year) to locate the rapist who was across state lines. I will always be grateful to Sheriff Causey for his kindness & sympathy for my situation. The man only got 10mos. jail time for assault & attempt to rape but that was the way it was for some rape cases in the 70s-the judge believed his story that he had found God (I pray he did). Sid Causey you will always be my hero.

For all those that want to

Submitted by WilmMan on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 10:38am.

For all those that want to complain....here's your chance. Quit running your mouth and do something about it. Causey is retiring which means in December there will be another election. Let's see what some of you are made of. But I'm willing to bet you all will hide in your little corner, wait for a new Sheriff, then come back out and start complaining again.

Blessed by this sherriff

Submitted by informed (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 10:17am.

No greater man could have endured this positon during some of its greatest challenges and kept us moving forward and keeping our county safe...a man who set up response for our seniors, was alwasys there for our school children, personally was there countless times whenever called on to do AnYTHING he was asked to serve his community as he tackled the gang and drug issues plaguing our area...a man of integrity. We will be hard pressed to find anyone of similar character who can do the great job that Sid has done. The only folks who opposed him are criminals and those who aspire to his greatness who cannot serve because of their own inadequacies. He is truly an inspiration.

Causey, no shame

Submitted by Hermit (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 8:21am.

"Children growing up have ambitions to be firemen, doctors, lawyers, and everything, and I never thought I had a desire to be a law enforcement officer,” Causey said. That pretty much sums up the man. And in his own words too. See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!

Not qualified for a better Job

Submitted by irish1 (not verified) on Thu, 02/26/2009 - 11:34am.

Well there it is .... a lot of our law enforcement officers become officers because they are not qualified to do anything else, or even our Sheriff. I'm not saying all, but a lot of them. I read these postings and can not believe how naive some of you people are, always blindly defending them just because of there job. Just because someone is wearing a uniform, that does not mean it came with an IQ or morality. It only means that they passed the course. Truth is, the job also attracts a lot of bullies, and bigots, you know the type, Rednecks with a badge and a gun. Again, I am not saying all ... but New Hanover County has it's share of of this element in both the brown sheriff's office uniforms and the blue police uniforms. I just thank God that there are a few really good officers in both departments, and hope that they don't ever wavier in their integrity because of peer pressure.

What exactly are you talking

Submitted by WilmMan on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 10:00am.

What exactly are you talking about....your comments don't make a whole lot of sense

C-ya

Submitted by taxpayer (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 8:11am.

C-ya, Thanks for turning our coastal town upside down. I think Lowes Home Improvement Store is hiring.

Hope for IMPROVEMENT

Submitted by Hopeful (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 11:40am.

I too am glad to see this change coming. I have not been happy with the current sherriff for a very long time now. I think he was smug, cockie, and made mistakes by the tons. In saying that I have no ideal what it would feel like to hold all that responsibility. It has to be very stressful. I think Mr. Causey knows it is time for a changing of the guard. I pray we get a new leader that will be better suited for all the responsibility that comes with this job. I think Chief Evangelous would be a good candidate to take over both city, and county. He has truly whipped the WPD in shape, and it was in shambles when he took over. Mr. Causey I do thank you for your 30 years of service to the commuity. I wish you well, and hope you find some peace in your future.

Good luck with retirement

Submitted by GuestBCSO (not verified) on Tue, 02/24/2009 - 11:26pm.

Good luck with retirement Sheriff Causey the law enforcement community will truly miss you.

Congrats..........

Submitted by WilmingtonObserver (not verified) on Tue, 02/24/2009 - 11:10pm.

The job of a law enforcement officer is mostly a thankless one. Anyone who can serve for 30+ years is to be celebrated. I differ with some of your judgments but admire the fact that you have served long enough to retire. I often wonder how many North Carolina citizens realize that a law enforcement officer can not retire until after 30 years of service. I wish you well.

There are more deputies...

Submitted by nofanofsid (not verified) on Tue, 02/24/2009 - 11:06pm.

than we've ever had...and with the expansion of the city limits of Wilmington, there's less miles the Sheriff's department has to patrol...makes one wonder...why do we need more deputies when there are fewer miles of roads they need to patrol?

You have to be kidding me

Submitted by Asblue on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 11:09am.

You have to be kidding me. Each squad on patrol has 7 deputies plus a Cpl and Sgt. Then you have to deal with people being out sick, taking a personal day, in training, and now furlough time. So any given day you can figure one or two people out. That leaves 7 to 8 people to cover the entire county. If you have a domestic, that's 2 officers to go to that. If you have a burglar alarm, that's 2 officers to go to that. Then when you have the shootings, stabbings, or robberies there goes all your deputies on that side of the county. Then you figured if someone has to make an arrest, they get tied up at the jail for a while depending on how busy it is up there. That doesn't leave very many deputies holding down the fort. So yes, there is a need for more deputies. The city may be getting bigger but that doesn't mean that the crime in the county is dropping. If anything, more deputies would be nice to help prevent the crimes from happening. The deputies and the sheriffs department do a wonderful job for this county, but more help for them would be nice. Like the other person said, go sign up to do a ride along and see if you really think then that there are too many deputies now.

thanks for speaking the truth

Submitted by leowife (not verified) on Thu, 03/05/2009 - 12:57am.

Awesome comments Asblue! I think the other person forgets that Wilmington is in New Hanover County and deputies work within the whole county, including the city limits if needed or requested. I have been blown away reading the posts on here by the uninformed citizens of this county. Even if you do not agree with the decisions of Sheriff Causey, DO NOT take your frustrations out on the hard working and dedicated deputies that work for the Sheriff's Department. As a wife of a deputy who is DEDICATED to his career and the citizens of the county, I know how he and his squad believe upholding the law, which is what the citizens pay them to do. Before anyone decides to bad mouth the men and women who work for the Sheriffs Department please get your facts straight.

Come ride along

Submitted by Your Local Emergency Worker (not verified) on Thu, 02/26/2009 - 2:23pm.

Just like above... if the citizens of this county think there aren't enough deputies on the street, then go for a ride along. You'll quickly see for yourself that there are many more needed. In fact, I'm willing to bet that most people wouldn't make it through the shift without wanting to go home. I personally think that everyone needs to do at least one ride along for one entire shift in their life... your minds will quickly be changed as will your respect for emergency service workers.

Why don't you take a

Submitted by WilmMan on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 3:50pm.

Why don't you take a ride-a-long and see what's going on....then you won't sound so ignorant. There are 7 deputies per squad...and most of the time calls are backed up. Sure, they don't need any more deputies.

The sheriff...

Submitted by notafanofsid (not verified) on Tue, 02/24/2009 - 10:56pm.

has seen the handwriting on the wall. Given the ineptness of his handling of the Peyton Strickland case, his future as Sheriff was coming to end. The arrogance of not only the Sheriff but a lot of his deputies has left a sour taste in the mouths of many New Hanover County residents.

Back to that again??? You

Submitted by gottobekidding (not verified) on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 5:34pm.

Back to that again??? You are talking about that poor innocent child that was killed for no reason other than beating someone nearly to death for a video game system, having an arsenal in his room, and failing to comply with what he was told by officers at the scene? Yeah, the sheriff should be hung by his thumbs for allowing his officers to protect themselves and take the appropriate precautions when dealing with a dangerous, violent, criminal. My heart bleeds for him and his money grubbing father who has attempted to sue everyone under the sun over that. I don't agree with everything the Sheriff has done either, but if you are so unhappy with his performance, run yourself, or vote for someone else. Also, for everyone that wants to demonize the deputies for some of the events described above, get your facts straight first. That means you must do more than just take whatever the news puts out as gospel.

peyton

Submitted by same as before (not verified) on Thu, 02/26/2009 - 4:00pm.

why did the county settle on a wrongful death lawsuit for over 2 million dollars if peyton was to blame? Show me where he broke the law? The boy never had a chance thats why causey fired the deputy that killed him and why the county paid one of the biggest wrongful death settlements in the country!

Causey's guys killed Peyton Strickland

Submitted by Peyton RIP (not verified) on Thu, 02/26/2009 - 12:02pm.

If there was nothing wrong with the way Peyton Strickland was executed by the deputies working for Sid Causey then why did it cost the county 2.5 million dollars? If he did nothing wrong why did he admit it on video tape for the world to see and hear? If the shooter did nothing wrong why was he fired? No one ever tried Peyton for any crime so he was never convicted of anything. And as for the mugging, if you listen to the audio of the 911 call, not only is the guy saying he is OK, barely hurt, he originally said it was two black guys that jumped him. And the ONLY gun found at Peyton's house was a shot gun he used to hunt with LOCKED up on a gun safe. You Causey supporters will say anything KNOWING it is a lie and you say it anyway. Just like when the family of Gary Rummer asked what happened to his, they were told that Rummer died from alcoholism, when he was beat to death in jail.

Chief Ed McMahon will be the next Sheriff.

Submitted by riley (not verified) on Tue, 02/24/2009 - 10:50pm.

He's a member of our Grace Baptist church family and is loved by all. He has compassion, knowledge, and leadership ability. He has our full support and we look forward to his nomination.

Plus

Submitted by WilmingtonMAJ on Thu, 02/26/2009 - 4:22pm.

I would add to that from personal experience, Grace Baptist is pretty much a cult. WCA is attached to it and one of the most rediculously strict schools I have ever seen, with nothing but bible thumping idiots teaching there. One of my closest friends was sexually assaulted at the school and they did EVERYTHING they could to cover it up and unfortunately did. Such a shame. GB and WCA are cults and anyone with a brain would stay away from both!

New Sheriff

Submitted by Guest1973 (not verified) on Thu, 02/26/2009 - 3:39pm.

Lt.Travis Robinson would be a great Sheriff! He would be fair and on board with turnig the dept around! Anyone who know Lt. Robinson knows he is ready to be OUR NEXT SHERIFF! Lets all get behind Lt. Robinson! Lt. Robinson is what New Hanover County needs!

Robinson Ready to Rumble

Submitted by deputy dawgie style (not verified) on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 11:25am.

Having worked with both Robinson and McMahon you'd know which one has the intelligence for the job. Robinson is fairly politically savy but McMahon has the inside push. I don't know why Causey has a hard time with Travis but he does and I doubt the recommendation will go his way. It will be interesting though to see if the tasering at the funeral comes out, the weak resume, the behind the back talk and the mismanagement of the budget comes out on Ed. I'd have to say that Robinson is the better of the two and probably deserves it. I swear though nothing will get done, the place is too screwed up, too many people owing people favors. Someone needs to get in there and fire like 30 people right off the bat then go talk with the WPD about working together, but then we can all wait until hades freezes over too. It will never happen!

Nooooo, No, No, No!!! We

Submitted by Whoa! (not verified) on Thu, 02/26/2009 - 12:37pm.

Nooooo, No, No, No!!! We don't need some southern Baptist religious fanatic running the law enforcement in this town.

Primary links