Candidate Profile: April L. Edwards (Mathew County Sheriff)

April L. Edwards is a candidate for Mathews County Sheriff. Her name will appear on the ballot on November 7, 2023.

Edwards is running for an open seat against Albert S. “Sid” Foster.

10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race with specific questions. The responses below came directly from the candidate and are unedited. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.

Name: April L. Edwards

Age: 44

Race: Mathews County Sheriff

Party: Independent

Website: www.edwardsforsheriff.com

Biography: April L. Edwards, of Dutton, is running as an independent candidate for the Mathews County Sheriff’s election on November 7, 2023.

Edwards, 44, graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology from Old Dominion University. Edwards then graduated with distinction from Liberty University with a master’s degree in Business Administration focusing in the area of Criminal Justice Administration.

While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Edwards began her career working for the Gloucester/Mathews/Middlesex Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court as a Deputy Clerk in 2001. In 2005, she then began working for the Ninth District Court Services Unit as a Juvenile Caseworker overseeing juvenile offenders on electronic monitoring pre-disposition and post-disposition through probation and parole. In 2008, she began her career with the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff. She attended the Hampton Roads Criminal Justice Training Academy as part of class 08-B. Edwards worked six years as a patrol deputy. In 2014, she was transferred to Mathews County Public Schools and served two years as a School Resource Officer. During her time at the school, she developed the TIDES program for fifth grade students which taught students about the dangers of tobacco use, drug abuse and the effects of bullying. She developed an impaired driving course for high school students to demonstrate how difficult driving can be with the use of “drunk goggles” while driving a pedal car through a traffic-coned course. She would also do presentations to driver’s education students on the dangers of texting and driving.

In 2016, Edwards was then promoted to Investigations where she attended a number of schools to include: the Department of Forensic Science Basic Investigations, APSAC Child Forensic Interviewing School, the Hampton Roads Criminal Justice Training Academy Leadership Institute, Trauma-Informed Sexual Assault Investigation School, as well as various child abuse, homicide, and infant death investigation schools. Edwards has served as a major crimes Investigator for about seven years. During her time in investigations, she has worked a number of criminal cases to include homicides, child sex trafficking, child pornography, aggravated malicious wounding, rape, arson, sexual assault (adult and child), child abuse and neglect, embezzlement, burglary, larceny, fraud, contractor fraud, financial exploitation and domestic assault cases.

In 2017, Edwards worked with a graphic design artist to develop the new sheriff’s office patch which is worn on the sleeves of each deputy’s uniform. Mathews County has adopted this design as the new county seal. In 2018, she collaborated with public school parents and led a fundraising effort and raised over $4,000 through the community to have Jeff Yalden, a nationally renowned youth speaker, come to Mathews High School to speak to Mathews High School and Thomas Hunter Middle School 8th grade students and held a session for parents about issues plaguing our youth such as drug abuse and addiction, sexting, suicide prevention, bullying, peer pressure, and self-respect.

In 2020, Edwards was asked to join the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force based out of Norfolk, VA and after completing the training through Homeland Security, she became Title 19 cross designated which gave her federal authority to work narcotics smuggling, money laundering, human trafficking, human smuggling as well as any other crimes that threaten our homeland and borders. This authority helped the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office develop a great working relationship with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. One federal human trafficking and child pornography case resulted in a life sentence and one methamphetamine operation involving the use of an automatic weapon while shooting an individual and possession of a silencer resulted in a 22.5 – year sentence. Edwards is still an active member of the task force.

Over the past five years, Edwards has secured grant monies from federal and state funds as well as from large corporations to go towards securing equipment to meet the needs of the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office in excess of $540,000, which ultimately took the burden off of taxpayers. Those grant funds went towards the purchase of naloxone, which reverses the effects of an opiate overdose, patrol vehicles, a speed enforcement trailer, a drug incinerator, safety vests, batons, patrol vehicle equipment, and a property and evidence shed.

Edwards was awarded Deputy of the Year in 2009 by the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office. She was the recipient of an Outstanding Contribution to Law Enforcement award in 2015 by Sheriff Barrick of the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office for her work as a School Resource Officer. In March of 2021, Edwards was saluted by the Mathews County NAACP as a Woman Trailblazer of Mathews County. In 2022, she was also awarded the Public Service Award by the Department of Justice – United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for her work on a federal child trafficking and child pornography case – United States v. William Hooper. In 2023, Edwards received a second public service award from the Department of Justice for her work on United States v. Eric Lee Smith, a shooting with an automatic weapon that occurred in Mathews County which led to the uncovering of a methamphetamine drug conspiracy and a host of other federal crimes.

In 2017, Edwards co-founded Virginia Marine Contracting, Inc. (VMC) which offers marine construction services as well as shoreline preservation to the Middle Peninsula, Northern Neck and Peninsula regions of Virginia. In her role with VMC, Edwards is responsible for contract negotiations, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, quarterly and annual tax filings, and all necessary permitting through county and city wetlands boards, building departments, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Army Corps of Engineers.

If Edwards is elected as sheriff, she wants to continue the same quality of public service and level of safety Sheriff Barrick has provided to the community in his last three terms. She believes it is imperative in a small community that fair and equitable treatment is distributed amongst all of its citizens. Some of the goals she wants to implement are continuing to combat the war on drugs, especially the opiates and methamphetamines that are plaguing our area. She wants to ensure all officers receive extensive training to better equip them to work any position within the office. Smaller departments do not have as many resources as larger departments and Edwards believes cross-training is essential to offer the level of service expected by citizens. Deputies should be familiar with the role of an investigator and vice versa. Edwards considers an employee an investment and wants to ensure all officers are developed to their fullest potential. Edwards also hopes to reinvigorate the relationship between law enforcement and the youth in our community. The youth are the future of this county and our country, and it is important to foster a good rapport with the younger generation so they can develop a trust with law enforcement that they carry into their futures. Edwards hopes to bridge this gap by entering into the schools to engage with the students to promote the law education and to speak on issues plaguing youth today. Edwards also hopes to develop some youth programs to reignite the passion for the criminal justice profession that she experienced at an early age.

A native of Mathews County, Edwards is the daughter of Tom and Nancy Hunley, former Mathews County residents who have retired to Kill Devil Hills, NC and Mark and Tara Edwards, who reside in Terrell, NC. Edwards continued to make Mathews County her home while raising her two grown children. Edwards’ oldest daughter, Kayla, graduated from James Madison University with a bachelor’s degree in Health Services Administration. Kayla and her husband, Mike, a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Cyber National Guard, currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama. Edwards’ youngest daughter, Maliya, graduated from George Mason University in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology/Law and Society with a minor in Forensic Psychology. Edwards resides in the Dutton area of Mathews County with her dogs, Luna and Jack.

Edwards is honored to receive the endorsement by the current Mathews County Sheriff, Mark Barrick, who announced he will not seek reelection for a fourth term in 2023.

Why are you running for this office?

I am running for the Office of Sheriff because I have a proven track record as a leader. I have transformed lives through the course of my profession and now I want to bring positive change leading the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office to lead by example on how best to help our community. An office is only as good as the one who leads them. I chose this career solely for the citizens. I am transparent, fair, and qualified in ALL aspects. I am educated, honest, experienced and have the ability to communicate proficiently. I think outside of the box and possess the ability to solve problems on my own. I am technologically savvy and up to speed on the latest and greatest equipment to better serve our community. I want to develop our staff to their fullest potential. I also want to take advantage of every opportunity to save our taxpayer’s money by capitalizing on grants out there that provide equipment to the law enforcement profession. Lastly, I want to be able to look a victim in the eye and guarantee justice WILL be served and then DELIVER ON IT.

A person cannot become Sheriff just for the title of Sheriff… because if you fail – we all are affected and so is the community we all love. There is nothing wrong with positive change and I am THE change needed to make Mathews County a better and safer place to live, work and play.

What is the most important issue facing law enforcement?

There are many issues facing law enforcement at present. The number one issue would be staffing shortages and high turnover rates. Many law enforcement agencies are having difficulty finding applicants who want to work in the profession. We must reinvigorate the love of the law enforcement profession with our youth through educational and summer programs to help portray police officers as heroes again. Many families teach their kids today that all police are bad. We have bad apples just as they do in any profession, but there is considerably more good than bad.

How will you still value constituents and politicians with whom you disagree?

Conflict is expected amongst people especially when we possess core beliefs that have been ingrained in us from birth. No two people are going to share the same viewpoint on every issue and this can lead to hurdles when making important decisions that can have a critical effect on governing our local communities, our state and country. We need to find common ground within the conflict and have a roundtable discussion regarding ideas as collaboration is essential. The focus at the forefront needs to be on what is in the best interest of the community as a whole. I place a significant value in those who differ from me because I can appreciate all perspectives and am open to explore any and all possibilities. We all want the same thing for our communities; we just all have our own idea of the best route we need to take to accomplish the goal. The ability to compromise with those we disagree with and come to a happy medium for the benefit of all of our citizens is necessary and is expected in politics. A politician is elected to serve the people and that means any and all regardless of the way they think. If you fail to achieve this, you are failing as a public servant.