VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A position sometimes forgotten as a constitutional office, and on November 5, Virginia Beach voters will have to pick between a familiar face and a new one to lead the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office (VBSO).
The VBSO is responsible for the logistics and operation of the Virginia Beach Correctional Center, including the safety and custody of those inside it. It also oversees the Virginia Beach court system, including serving civil documents received from the courts, transporting juvenile and adult offenders to and from court, as well as other state correctional facilities.
Holcomb, a member of the VBSO for more than 30 years, is running in his first election cycle for the position, and is looking to hold the seat he currently serves.
“We’ve implemented some good things since I’ve been sworn in, and I’ve got a lot more work to do," said Holcomb.
In 2023, longtime Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle retired after 13 years with the Office and passed the torch to Holcomb, the then-Chief Deputy at the time.
In 2021, Holcomb was unanimously selected to serve as a city council member to represent the city's Kempsville District. In 2022, he won a special election to hold that city council seat.
Holcomb is the first Sheriff in Virginia Beach to rise through the ranks, beginning his law enforcement career as a deputy sheriff recruit.
Holcomb has also previously served in the Virginia General Assembly between 2017 and 2019.
This year he is running to remain at the top of the Sheriff's Office, on a platform of ensuring incarcerated Virginians can properly reacclimate to normal life upon their release.
“We understand that 85% of our offenders are going back into the community, so we need to give them a soft landing when they go back to go back into the community," said Holcomb. "A lot of folks here get a GED, life skills where they learn how to interview, communicate, control their anger and substance abuse. That 'Road to Hope' is covering a lot of those things."
Dibelardino is a small business owner, behind the X-IT Emergency Escape Ladder System.
In contrast to Holcomb, Dibelardino has not previously served time as a law enforcement officer. He told 13News Now he was involved in the process of becoming a deputy in 2022.
"I was hired to become a deputy sheriff in July of 2022, and then a few days after I received a hire packet after passing the requirements and tests, I was told they had to withdraw my hire but I was told I could reapply after six months," Dibelardino said. "Turns out, judges didn't want me in the sheriff's office because I was a whistleblower."
A spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office said in response they do not have a record of an individual with his name either making it through or attending training to become a deputy with the VBSO.
Dibelardino has recently filed a petition in Virginia Beach courts, alleging corruption with the city's judicial system. Dibelardino admits to being arrested twice, including one instance this summer when he was charged with misdemeanor trespassing for protesting his allegations outside a courthouse.
He is running to improve "lawfulness" in the courts and jail.
“Help ensure those courts run lawfully, they’re not. To make sure jail is run in interest of community, they’re not.”
In response, Sheriff Holcomb ended with, "I will stack resume against anybody that wants to stack resumes. I think they speak for themselves."