Alan Moore’s involvement with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office stretches back three decades.
Now, after serving as chief deputy, he’d like to lead the department as sheriff. Moore was scheduled to officially announce during an April 22 event at Red Front Pizza and Grill in Richmond his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2026 election.
“I believe in the department,” Moore said. “It has good values, good integrity and I think it enjoys a pretty good reputation in the community.”
Moore initially served as a volunteer deputy, helping build the department’s mounted patrol, while working with technology businesses. For about a dozen years, Moore worked with public safety technology in Wayne County’s IT department. Then, in August 2022, Sheriff Randy Retter appointed Moore his chief deputy.
With Retter’s maximum two terms ending after 2026, Moore said it’s a natural progression to move from chief deputy to sheriff. So natural, he said, that people were asking whether he’d run for sheriff soon after he became chief deputy. He didn’t commit at that time, wanting to settle into the new role.
“I have,” Moore said, “and I’ve accomplished quite a lot, but there’s more I’d like to do.”
Moore says becoming sheriff would be business as usual in several ways, citing his experience with managing people and budgets, and his broad knowledge of department operations.
“Sheriff (Jeff) Cappa and Sheriff Retter have set a tone or pattern for the department that I want to continue,” Moore said. “I would not come in and shake it up or make a huge number of changes.”
As chief deputy, Moore has led updates to field training and evaluation systems, built a drone program, implemented a warrant task force to reduce the number of active arrest warrants and obtained a $120,000 grant to purchase equipment to fight the county’s drug problem. He also oversees the accreditation program, and the department has partnered with Centerstone’s new Stride program to improve responses to mental health and addiction problems.
As sheriff, Moore says he plans to continue a strong focus on drug enforcement while partnering with treatment providers, continue strengthening the warrant task force, modernize the department with equipment and processes, ensure employee training and support, and remain accessible to the public.
Moore said that any accomplishments result from efforts of those throughout the department.
“It’s been fantastic,” Moore said. “People are willing to work with me and accomplish all these things.”
A version of this article appeared in the April 23 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.