Left, Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry takes the oath of office while his wife, Angela, center, looks on.

La Plata, MD – There’s a new sheriff in town.

Troy Berry was sworn in as Charles County Sheriff, not once, but three times in the course of two days.

Berry took the oath of office at the Charles County Courthouse Monday morning, Dec. 1, just before courthouse officers were sworn in.

At 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, Berry was sworn in during a public ceremony at the Waldorf Jaycees where uniformed officers also took the oath of office along with correctional officers. Berry would take the oath a third time that evening after the Charles County Commissioners were sworn in.

The event at the Waldorf Jaycees was one of impressive pomp and significant circumstance as hundreds of members from the county’s police department stood in formation as the celebration unfolded.

“This is a special occasion,” said Lt. Col. Robert Cleveland, “not only for Sheriff Berry but for our department. It sets us on a new course for the future. We are here to work hand in hand with Sheriff Berry to insure that Charles County is safe.”

“Sheriff Berry has exemplified what it means to be a servant of the people,” said Charles County State’s Attorney Anthony Covington. “We have a great sheriff in the person of Troy Berry. He has the temperament and demeanor for the job, rooted in justice and honesty.

“Toughness and caring can go hand in hand,” Covington said.

“I am a person who confesses my faith,” Berry told the officers and audience. “I have been truly blessed by His favor.”

Berry also thanked his wife Angela for her help and dedication.

He also told the public, “You are our most important asset.

“I am no stranger to this agency,” Berry said, commenting on more than 22 years as an officer in Charles County. “I am no stranger to this community.

“Law enforcement requires a spirit of excellence,” he added.

Covington recalled when he was an assistant state’s attorney prosecuting cases in La Plata, he read an officer’s report which he said stated, “‘I heard the distinct sound of fully automatic gunfire.’ The report continued, ‘I got out of my car and went toward the sound of the gunfire.’ It was then that I understood the difference between that officer, myself and most citizens. He went toward the sound of the gunfire. The men and women of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office put themselves in harm’s way every day. That’s the difference.”

Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com