N.H. sheriffs unanimously support bail reform legislation

Strafford County Sheriff Kathryn Mone (Courtesy photo)

All 10 New Hampshire sheriffs announced on Tuesday that they fully support bail reform to stop the endless revolving door that puts criminals out on the street on personal recognizance only to offend again.

"New Hampshire's 10 county sheriffs are united in our support for fixing the broken bail system," William Wright, Belknap County Sheriff and president of the New Hampshire Sheriffs' Association. "The 2018 law has let too many violent offenders out into our communities, harming our officers and our citizens. Fixing this broken system is common sense and is critical to keeping our state the safest in the country. We are grateful to Governor Ayotte for her leadership and urge the Legislature to take quick action on this issue."

Following the announcement, Governor Kelly Ayotte said she fully endorsed the effort.

"I'm grateful to have all ten of our county sheriffs on board with this bipartisan effort to fix our broken bail system," she said. "Our law enforcement officers deserve our full support and backing as they do their jobs, and Granite Staters deserve to feel safe on our streets. Shutting this revolving door for criminals will help keep our state the safest in the nation, and I thank our sheriffs and local community leaders from both sides of the aisle for standing with us."

The law that brought this crisis on allowed repeat offenders back on the street over and over again without having to put up substantial bail to ensure they show up for their arraignment. When they didn't show up law enforcement had to use resources to track them down and take them into custody, which often proved a danger to police.