Evansville, Indiana – Chief Deputy Noah Robinson, a 22-year law enforcement veteran and second-in-command of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, announced his candidacy for Sheriff of Vanderburgh County in the Democratic party primary at an outdoor, drive-in style gathering today.
The gathering was held outside of the Vanderburgh County 4-H Center Auditorium. Current Sheriff Dave Wedding’s second term will expire after December 31, 2022. Under Indiana law a sheriff cannot seek a third consecutive term.
Chief Deputy Noah Robinson was introduced to an impressive crowd (outdoor drive-in style gathering and live streamed on Facebook) by City Councilman Ben Trockman. Trockman praised Robinson’s commitment to public service and his dedication to helping others.
Chief Deputy Noah Robinson took the stage and thanked Councilman Trockman for his support. Robinson also commended his campaign treasurer, Knight Township Trustee Kathryn Martin. Also sharing the stage with Robinson were Councilwoman Caitlin Moore Morely, City Clerk Laura Windhorst, City Councilwoman Missy Mosby, and Darmstadt Clerk-Treasurer Mallory Lowe.
Chief Deputy Noah Robinson touted his 22 years in law enforcement as having allowed him to learn what it takes to successfully run a Sheriff’s Office.Â
Robinson stated, “I was hired by Sheriff Brad Ellsworth and started out as a patrol deputy. I later became a training deputy, helping to mold new sheriff’s deputies into competent and skilled members of the agency. I took hundreds of drunk drivers off the road and trained deputies on how to prepare DUI cases for prosecution. I was promoted to sergeant and later lieutenant by Sheriff Eric Williams. I spent five years developing our agency’s policies and procedures, ensuring our deputies operated with sound tactics and on solid legal footing. I conducted dozens of internal investigations and treated every accused employee with fairness and dignity. I dramatically expanded our agency’s social media presence and focused on communicating crime information directly to our many neighborhood organizations. I obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding for our Office so that we could better serve the citizens of our county. After Sheriff Wedding promoted me to major, I embarked on an aggressive hiring plan aimed at increasing the number of confinement officers in our jail. I pushed for the expansion of our Information Technology Unit, doubling the size of the staff and improving responsiveness. After Sheriff Wedding named me his chief deputy, I worked to strengthen both the relationship of our Office with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation and the safety of our schools by improving information sharing and cooperation.”
Chief Deputy Robinson lamented the polarized nature of social media, stating that “It seems that every issue we confront has no middle ground.” Robinson described himself as a pragmatist, eager to work with anyone interested in solving problems.
Chief Deputy Robinson criticized the “Defund the Police” movement, calling it “misguided” and “divisive”. He called such talk a “false choice” and stressed that we can improve police response to people in crisis through a variety of measures that do not involve cutting the budgets of law enforcement agencies. He added, “We can ensure law enforcement has the tools, training, and outside resources needed to address the problems facing our community without ‘defunding the police’”.
Robinson spoke of the need to aggressively pursue drug dealers who hook people on opioids, heroin, and methamphetamine while also showing compassion to the addict and providing intensive treatment to support their recovery. He stated, “We can hold people accountable for criminal behavior and provide justice to victims while also reducing recidivism through job training and life skills development.”
Robinson made it clear that he supports and defends the 2nd amendment. Robinson stated he wants to, “Ensure the ability of legal gun owners to defend their families, while also promoting responsible gun ownership and encouraging gun owners to keep their firearms away from children and secure from access by criminals.”
Chief Deputy Noah Robinson supports the protection of our children in schools with highly trained school resource deputies who know how to form connections with kids and establish positive mentorship with the student.
Robinson pledged to seek out the criminal elements within Vanderburgh County while also listening to and respecting the concerns of the community. Robinson stressed the importance of addressing the needs of the community’s homeless population without criminalizing homelessness. He further resolved to hire qualified candidates as deputy sheriffs while also ensuring the formation of a staff which represents the diversity of the community.
Chief Deputy Noah Robinson pledged to continue the progress of Sheriff Dave Wedding, while at the same time looking towards the future for new opportunities for collaboration to further improve both the Sheriff’s Office and the community.
Chief Deputy Noah Robinson is a Newburgh, Indiana native and Castle High School graduate who moved to Vanderburgh County nearly twenty years ago. Chief Deputy Robinson attended the University of Southern Indiana, where he received an Associate’s Degree in Social Science and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminal Justice Studies. In 1998, Robinson was admitted to the Golden Key National Honor Society, an organization which extends membership invitations to students in the upper 15% of their class. In 1999, he was admitted to the Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society. Â
Following university, Chief Deputy Robinson joined the Owensboro Police Department in 1999 and graduated from the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training Center in Richmond, KY. Chief Deputy Noah Robinson served the City of Owensboro until his appointment as a deputy with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2001.
Chief Deputy Noah Robinson became a field training deputy in 2003, where he spent eight years assigned to Motor Patrol. In February of 2004, Robinson received an award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. for his actions on January 24th, 2004. Robinson entered a frozen lake to check for occupants in a partially submerged vehicle. In March of 2007, Robinson received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Vanderburgh Humane Society for assisting animals in danger during a house fire. In 2009, Chief Deputy Robinson was promoted to the rank of sergeant and spent the next five years assigned to the Professional Standards Unit, where he developed policy and procedure for the agency as well as conducted internal investigations.
Chief Deputy Robinson was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in June of 2014, assigned to headquarters, and placed in charge of information technology, public information, and grants. In October of 2018, Chief Deputy Robinson was promoted to the rank of major and served as the executive commander over the Administration Division.
In December of 2019, Sheriff Dave Wedding promoted Chief Deputy Robinson to the rank of colonel and named him his new Chief Deputy Sheriff and second in command of the agency.
Chief Deputy Robinson is a board member of the Highland Hills Challenger League Baseball Program and an active supporter of Youth Resources, the Salvation Army, the Evansville Rescue Mission, and many other local organizations too numerous to mention.
Chief Deputy Noah Robinson met his wife Janie during high school. The two have been married for over 20 years, and together have three children, Kayla, Katelyn, and Kyle.Â
