News Articles and Photos

Throughout Donald’s career as a Deputy and now Sheriff, he has been involved in many cases over the years. These stories below highlight just a few of his accomplishments from the past years illustrating his service to the community. We will also be adding campaign news and pictures as we proceed through the campaign.

Recent News Articles & Reports

Augusta County Sheriff’s Office Received Accreditation

On March 8, 2023, Todd Clingenpeel, the Accreditation Manager from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services presented the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office with its Accreditation Award at the Augusta County Board of Supervisors’ Meeting.

As most of you know, the ACSO lost its accreditation back in 2015 due to things that happened prior to me becoming Sheriff. In 2019, we tried to be re-accredited and were unsuccessful. We continued to work hard, make improvements and re-applied in 2022; this time we were successful. Everyone at the Sheriff’s Office has worked extremely hard throughout this accreditation process.

Without the work of everyone at the Sheriff’s Office, this would not have been possible. Every employee was tasked with various duties, bought into the policies and procedures of the office, and adopted a professional mindset; this paid off tremendously. I appreciate everyone’s hard work, professionalism and dedication to the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office. Without every employee’s commitment to excellence and professionalism, we would not have been re-accredited.

Thank you to everyone at the ACSO, Emergency Communication Center staff, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, The Board of Supervisors, The County Administrator’s Office and the community for their continued support of us, as we carry out our mission at the ACSO. I appreciate each and every one of you. We are extremely proud that our ACSO team was able to achieve our accreditation status.

I also want to thank our community for their support when we did not receive our re-accreditation in 2019. You all believed in us, kept our heads up and supported us when others did not, and for that, the ACSO Staff and I are very grateful.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - October 6, 2019

Donald Smith’s career has led to this moment of public service

I support Donald Smith for re-election as Sheriff of Augusta County. I have known Donald his entire life. He is an outstanding individual with a work ethic that has led to a job well done during his first four years in office. He has high expectations for his employees but not any higher than he expects of himself.

Donald prepared himself to be sheriff from his youth. Through his education and his on the job training in the Sheriff ’s office, there is no one better prepared to serve Augusta County as Sheriff.

Donald has demonstrated his character throughout this campaign. When faced with smear tactics by his opponent, Donald has just continued to emphasize his qualifications and experience and has not let his campaign team nor himself be drawn into degrading his opponent.

His dedication to serving all of Augusta County’s citizens was demonstrated when he refused the offer from the Republican party to run as their candidate. Although it would have meant running without opposition and an easy election, Donald chose to keep party out of the Sheriff ’s office and eliminate any political pressures that may come later from the party.

Throughout his first term, Donald has been involved with the public and has shown an interest in receiving input on how his department could better serve the community.

He has also demonstrated that he could efficiently use funds available for the best interest of the citizens as demonstrated by employing part time school resource officers and thus adding to the number of resource officers available to the schools of Augusta County. He has also used Facebook to keep the public informed on situations that involved his officers in high profile cases or in looking for missing individuals.

Please join me in supporting and voting for Donald Smith for Sheriff of Augusta County on November 5, 2019.

LARRY WILLS Weyers Cave

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - October 6, 2019

Sheriff Smith is respected with good reason and doesn’t deserve attacks

Recently, I had an opportunity to meet Sheriff Donald Smith at a local event, and could understand why he had so much support from the community. He was very humble and appreciative to be in his position. I found that we shared many of the same conservative values. He told me that he felt politics should not be a factor, within a Law Enforcement agency, and best to serve as an Independent Sheriff.

The Augusta County Republican Party asked Sheriff Smith to run as a Republican, for the upcoming election. He declined, with the same position of keeping the Sheriff’s Office non-political.

As a lifelong Republican, I am embarrassed by the local party leaders. The smear campaign against Sher-iff Smith is disturbing.

Even more disturbing, they have aligned with the Nexus Organization. Nexus is headquartered in Verona, and provides national services for illegal immigrants in the judicial process. Nexus has been critical of Sheriff Smith, law enforcement in general, and the Republican Party. “Breaking Through” News is part of Nexus, and is partially responsible for the smear videos and attack advertisements against Sheriff Smith. You can do an internet search of “Libre by Nexus” to learn more about the organization, and involved lawsuits.

It is my hope that the local Republican Party and Kester campaign will distance themselves from Nexus. Instead of attacking Sheriff Smith, focus on how you can improve the community.

Sheriff Smith appears to be very successful. He has had many accomplishments, and has been involved with many community events. The communication with the public is better than it has ever been. I would like to thank Sheriff Smith and his deputies for the service they provide. It is appreciated and respected by many.

ALLEN CASH Staunton

If you understood the sheriff and his job, you wouldn't attack him: Letter

Debbie WengerPublished 12:45 p.m. ET Sept. 12, 2019

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I have kept quiet for the last six months regarding this election for Sheriff, but I am fed up with how ugly the politicking has become. The “Witch Hunt” on the back page of your paper was the final straw. I don’t Facebook as it is a hornet’s nest. So I write here.

I work for Sheriff Smith, am proud of it, and am tired of him being attacked. How can a person that has done and is still doing so much good be treated like a punching bag? How can a man that does so much for his employees be judged by a few that have left when they themselves are disgruntled and will never be happy anywhere? How can anyone cast stones when the man tries to help everyone he possibly can? The attackers have no clue what it’s like to be a Sheriff and/or how to run a Sheriff’s Office.

But I do. This is not an 8-5 job. You don’t sleep…at all. You don’t get sick…you’re not allowed. You keep multiple phones to your ears at all times. You worry when your deputies and investigators are out so you stay within earshot of the radio. You think of and implement ways to better protect the community, the schools, and your deputies. You attend all meetings that are required of you and you do it with a smile. You create and enforce budgets and policies. You go out on the road where you assist those in need, run patrol with the shift, and manage critical incidents. You sit bedside at the hospital and attend funerals not because it looks good, but because you care. When you leave the office for the evening, you tell your dispatchers to call you if you are needed…and they do.

I could go on and on, but I doubt I would be given that much room in the newspaper. In the end, all I want to say is that Sheriff Smith is an awesome sheriff and an honorable man who does not deserve the bashing he is taking. He has more character, courage, integrity, leadership, and know how than all of his attackers put together.

DEBBIE WENGER

Staunton