Camden County sheriff says he'll quit by May 15.

Byline: Edward Colimore

Apr. 11--Camden County Sheriff Michael McLaughlin said yesterday that he will quit by May 15 in the hope of putting "an end to the politically motivated lawsuits and the unbalanced and misguided publicity" about his office. McLaughlin, a four-term sheriff, said in an interview that the job "has lost its luster after 12 years." "Let somebody else do it. It just seems my political enemies are sniping at everybody and hurting other people." The Sheriff's Office was rocked last month by allegations that officers shared sexually explicit e-mails during work time. McLaughlin ordered an internal probe and random checks of employees' e-mails after learning of the alleged Internet abuse from reports in the Courier-Post. "We're trying to be as objective as we can," he said yesterday, adding that an undersheriff, state police, and the Camden County Prosecutor's Office were investigating. "Hopefully, it will be wrapped up shortly." The Sheriff's Office also made headlines for losing $15,000 in a lengthy trial to a sheriff's officer who alleged retaliation after she complained about sexual discrimination and harassment. McLaughlin called that lawsuit and one filed later by another woman who had worked in the office "politically motivated."

He denied the allegations in both cases, saying they were "based on misinformation and fabrications." He also said he had tried to promote women in the department. A Sheriff's Office news release stated yesterday: "The lack of balance in many of the articles pertaining to the lawsuits can best be demonstrated by the fact that none of the many qualified women officers who perform their duties satisfactorily day in and day out have ever been asked for their opinions. "The facts are that Sheriff McLaughlin has encouraged and assigned women to duties that in previous administrations were not available. They include assignments to the Bomb Squad, Civil Process Unit, the Honor Guard, Crime Prevention, Aviation, Internal Affairs and the Fugitive Unit." McLaughlin began his career in April 1966 after graduating from the New Jersey State Police Academy. He was part of a team that planted wiretaps at the Shore in the investigation of former mob boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo. He announced in January that he would not seek reelection in November. Since then, he said, he has had a number of employment offers. "A number of the job offers are both interesting and challenging and have substantially diminished my previous intentions to fully retire," McLaughlin said. "I have a vacation trip planned for the latter part of May, and when I return I intend to consider one or more of the offers." In his final days in office, the investigation of the sexually explicit e-mails is going forward, he said. Most involved suggestive jokes. The Courier-Post said some had contained sexually explicit images. Former Undersheriff Arthur Nickles, who left the department for health reasons, and Lt. Harry Monroe, an officer in the Internal Affairs division, allegedly sent some e-mails, according to printouts of e-mails the Courier-Post obtained. Investigators will report their results to a board of randomly selected department members that will recommend discipline if appropriate. McLaughlin said he would make the final judgment. Punishment could involve suspension or dismissal. "It doesn't appear to be throughout the whole agency," McLaughlin said yesterday. "Apparently, some people made a mistake and transmitted stuff on work time. It doesn't appear they forwarded anything once they got it. They either deleted or didn't even remember getting it." Contact staff writer Edward Colimore at 856-779-3833 or ecolimore@phillynews.com. To comment, or to ask a question, go to http://go.philly.com/askcolimore.

Copyright (c) 2006, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.),

(213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.