Crime & Safety

Sheriff's Office to Honor Former Parsippany Council President

As part of the sheriff's office 275th anniversary, former Morris County Sheriff John Fox will be recognized for his 18 years of service.

John Fox, a former Parsippany-Troy Hills Council president will be honored by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office this Friday.

As part of the sheriff's office 275th anniversary, there will be plaque dedications for former sheriffs Fox—who served from 1975 - 1992 and Arnold Ladd, who served from 1947 – 1974.

Sheriff Edward Rochford and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office will host the dedication ceremony on Friday at 11 a.m. in the Jury Assembly Room in the Morris County Courthouse.

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Fox was elected sheriff in 1975 and served for 18 years. He has battled colon cancer and back in 2011, he resigned from the Parsippany council for the county board of elections. 

Fox has served as a Morris County Freeholder, member and president of the Township Council of Parsippany-Troy Hills and is currently commissioner of the Morris County Board of Elections. He lives in Morris County with his wife, MaryAnn.

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“An icon in the field of law enforcement for over 50 years, Sheriff Fox has received a plethora of awards throughout his illustrious career, most recently, the Lifetime Achievement Award by the State Troopers Coalition. Some other notable accomplishments include being the creator of the Morris County Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program (SLAP), CrimeStoppers, the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT), and the Morris County Sheriff’s K-9 and the

Bomb Squad Units,” said Rochford. “His fine work has resulted in his being appointed to the State Law Enforcement Planning Agency, the State Youth Commission and the State Law Enforcement Study, to name a few.”

Ladd was born in Saginaw Michigan but lived in Convent Station most of his life. He was elected sheriff in 1947 at the age of 33 and served nine consecutive 3- year terms for a total service of 27 years.

“He is the longest serving sheriff in Morris County. Liked by everyone, his tenure was a colorful one,” said Rochford. “His daughter, Sydney Ladd, shared stories with us of his days as sheriff. She depicted him as a sheriff who would “lockup” homeless folks overnight in order to provide them with a goodnight’s sleep and a warm breakfast. He also extended similar compassion; taking home to his family the circus tigers who were caught in the crossfire of a legal dispute.”

He was a former chairman of the Morris County Republican Committee and a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Morristown. He passed away in 1987 at the age of 74.

The sheriff’s department also gave background on its history.

“Although its roots can be traced all the way back to the days of William the Conqueror, the Office of the Sheriff was established in the United States in the 1630’s, courtesy of English colonists who settled in Virginia. A century later, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office came into existence.”


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