Sheriff John Newhart was one of the many recipients at the Spring Hill Suites on June 25, 2010 Service Awards. What made him stand out from the crowd was his 45 years of service to the City of Chesapeake.
His professional career in Law Enforcement began in 1958 in The United States Army where he served as an investigator attached to the Military Police in Berlin, Germany. Upon being honorably discharged in 1964, Sheriff Newhart joined The Chesapeake Police Department as a Motorcycle Officer.
In 1969, he was elected to the Office of Sheriff of Chesapeake, making him the youngest person ever elected to that Office in the history of The Commonwealth of Virginia. During his forty-five year career Sheriff Newhart has been recognized as an innovator in the field of community based corrections. Many programs which Sheriff Newhart initiated in Chesapeake are now accepted as the standard for local jails. He has saved millions in taxpayer dollars and has kept the Citizens of Chesapeake safe.