Guilford County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Edward Melvin, who was just named to that position by Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers about two months ago, is turning in his resignation.
“I’m stepping down for personal reasons,” Melvin said on Tuesday morning, Feb. 12.
As chief deputy, Melvin was the second most powerful law enforcement officer in the department’s chain of command.
The retired NC Highway Patrol officer who lives in Summerfield accepted the job at Rogers’ request soon after Rogers won the Tuesday, Nov. 6 election.
Melvin said on Tuesday morning that he informed Rogers of his decision on Monday, Feb. 11. Melvin said he was handing in his official letter of resignation on Feb. 12.
He also said he wanted to make it known that he was not fired.
“I was not asked to leave,” Melvin said.
When asked about the sheriff’s reaction, Melvin said Rogers was not pleased to hear the news.
He added that his departure should not be seen as some sort of mark against Rogers.
“This is in no way anything negative against the sheriff,” Melvin said. “He’s a good guy and I feel privileged he selected me to be chief deputy.”
Melvin also had positive things to say about the department and the men and women who work there.
“The Sheriff’s Office is a great outstanding office,” he said, adding that the officers who work in it are highly dedicated.
Born in South Carolina, Melvin served in the military before he joined the NC Highway Patrol in 1989. He worked for the Highway Patrol in Vance County before moving to Guilford County. He retired in 2012 but came out of retirement to take the job as Chief Deputy.
In November, just days after Rogers was elected, Melvin told the Rhino Timesthat he was very excited to have the chief deputy job. Melvin stressed at that time that is his main job was to follow orders and help Rogers achieve his vision for the department.
“I’m a soldier,” Melvin said in November. “I’m here to implement the sheriff’s agenda. He is my boss. I am here to help him go in whatever direction he wants to go.”
Melvin, who was making $110,725 a year in his new position, was one of the main speakers at a mass swearing-in ceremony for officers on Monday, Dec. 3 of last year.
Ironically, Melvin’s departure from the second most important job in Guilford County law enforcement comes just days after Rogers told the Rhino Timesthat he was having a major issue keeping officers: Rogers said they were departing from the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department due to a lack of competitive pay.
Melvin said his resignation had nothing to do with salary.
They are leaving because of a lack if competent sheriff coupled with a huge mistake of a captain in charge of the jail.
They all work at the pleasure of the sheriff same as always. The sheriff is far from incompetent, he just has a new agenda and everyone in his charge must align themselves to those goals & ideals.
Sheriff Rogers says that he is having trouble retaining officers due to a “lack of competitive pay”. Really? Your No. 2 just resigned his $110,000 a year job – $110,000 a year – because well, who needs that kind of money when you’re a “double dipper” who is retired from both the military AND the NC Highway Patrol, with index linked pensions, Cadillac health care benefits and the Life of Riley? Without doing a lick of work!
I’d spurn $2,100 a week too if I were a rich retired public sector parasite – but I’m just one of the working guys who pays them.
Folks should do better homework before speaking.
Those of us working at the Sheriff’s Office were priveleged to have Melvin at the top!
He worked long hours and supported each and every one of us be it in the field, in the jail, or behind the scenes no matter the day or the hour. Melvin runs several successful businesses and is no stranger to hard work.
If he is able to draw all of those benefits, it was carefully planned and not by accident. That doesn’t make him a parasite, it makes him a genius!
Chief,
If you’re reading this we salute you and wish you well! It was both an honor and a privilege to serve our citizens alongside you.
In purely economic terms the entire public sector is parasitic. It generates no wealth, and worse, it drags down the productivity of the private sector by impairing its ability to co-ordinate the factors of production in order to create wealth. Like the song says, “they live off of other people’s taxes”. That’s Economics 101. Maybe it’s you who needs to do your homework.
Your sycophantic and self-serving comments are nauseating.
Julio is right that Ed Melvin is a good man. Obviously too good to work for a sheriff with so little character.
The story above fails to mention that Chief Melvin had constant battles with Catherine Netter as she systematically ran honest career employees out of the department. The final straw was obviously the firing of Captain Dodson just hours before he resigned.
I cant blame the guy for earning his retirements. The truth is people come and go at the Sheriff Office all around the nation. The fact can be he just wanted to relax and not deal with the stress, he is retired and money is not an issue or he would not be leaving. I wish him well, enjoy your retirement.
What a tasteful comment! I definitely concur! Why add unnecessary stress to your life when you don’t need to……I admire Ed Melvin’s decision…..DO YOU!!!
What is it that Catherine Netter have Sheriff Rogers? This lady has managed to fired everyone who crossed he path! Capt. Dobson dated the guy Netter was crazy about! Dobson Fired! Catherine Netter stole 3 sheriff employees files… all 3 of those employees fired! Catherine Netter was envolved in a hit and run with another Deputy’s Private vehicle… that Deputy just got fired! Catherine Netter didn’t like Ms. Paul Williamson, an Sheriff administrator for the Sheriff, She was forced to resign! Catherine Netter, who is an admin person, is demanding that her salary goes up To $90K from a already high 55K. She has convinced Sheriff Rogers to cry Racism is she don’t get it! I’ve worked with Catherine Netter when she was worked in the jail under BJ. Sheriff Barnes had every right to fire her, but Now I’m not the only person wondering what is it that she has on Sheriff Rogers? With Chief Melvin gone, everyone here is scared because we don’t know who Sheriff Netter is going to fire next! There is no one left to protect us! We miss Chief Melvin
Yes this Sheriff is without a doubt miles ahead of the old man that he replaced. Change is tuff but in this case its well worth it in the end!
Okay Bob, I will indulge your exaggeration. Other than mocking the “elderly”, please elaborate on the “positive change” that will be worth it in the end. What has happened so far that is good? What will have happened in one year that will be good?
So far Sheriff Roger’s has fired around 30 people and had several professional officers retire or leave for other agencies. He has demoted several proven leaders in the department while promoting inexperience. He has surrounded himself with people who have never been higher than the rank of Sergeant. He has dried up sworn side applications by ordering that all sworn officers start in detention. He has dried up detention applications by killing morale with hat/uniform/tatoo regulations that are extremely unpopular. He has made promotions that many view as blatantly racist. He has promoted officers who were under discipline. He promoted a Lieutenant to Major and rescinded it in under 24 hours when it set off an internal firestorm. He has had turnover at chief deputy in under 3 months. The only people who view this as positive are political hacks or criminals who profit from disjointed, ineffective law enforcement.
Sad day to hear that Chief Deputy Ed Melvin has resigned from the Sheriff’s. His experience and leadership will be missed.
Jerry Herron
Retired Major
Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office
I thank all of you for the beautiful words that was spoken of my brother Ed Melvin… whom is truly amazing man.
For all you negative naysayers… please give the public an example of what he has personally or professionally done negatively in your life.
My brother has worked extremely hard to get to where he is at. We were taught at an early age the meaning of hard work. We had to get up at 5am to unload tobacco barns so we could crop the fields to refill the empty barns at the same time..slop the hogs, tend to the gardens, pick acres of cucumbers all starting at the age of 7 years old.
So if you had an upbringing of love and hardwork… please share… otherwise stop taking my brother’s hard work in vain… you TOO can have a terrific life my brother earned his thru hard work, sweat and tears!’!! I love you Big Brother… What a great example you are for everyone who wants success in their lives!!!!
I agree. BJ may have experience the same thing as Sheriff.
Is that a fact