What we need in a sheriff

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The resignation of Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. on Thursday afternoon marks the end of an era — and the potential for a fresh start for the Sheriff’s Office.

Gov. Scott Walker has a chance to appoint a competent law enforcement professional who has the respect and confidence of deputies and other professionals across the state. Clarke had lost that with his bullying ways and intemperate language in recent years. As we noted in May, his departure will be good for the county.

Here’s what we said then after he announced that he was taking a job with the Trump administration (an offer that fell through):

“Clearly, he lost interest in being sheriff long ago and was no longer doing the job that voters elected him to do. But before he goes, Clarke owes this community an explanation for the four deaths that occurred in the jail last year. Voters deserve at least that much.”

They still do. Clarke has made virtually no public statement on the deaths, failing to explain the tragedies that took place under his watch. And our guess is that, if he has his choice, he never will. He’ll just ride off into the sunset to an even more lucrative career on the book-and-lecture circuit or with the Trump administration or as a private consultant. In recent years, he became very effective at creating and promoting the David Clarke brand. Expect that to continue, and for him to remain in the public eye.

It always was unlikely that any criminal or civil proceedings would hold him personally accountable (although he could appear as a witness in any case that might come up). Beyond that, don’t expect any public explanations or mea culpas. That’s not the way he operates. County residents and taxpayers deserved far better from a man who started out with promise 15 years ago and then let his politics and ego eclipse his judgment.

In appointing a successor,

Walker should resist the temptation to play politics. As we noted in March, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office needs a steady, thoughtful, professional leader. A law enforcement professional who will enforce the law and be tough on criminals, while respecting the

civil rights of all citizens. He should pick someone capable of managing a department and restoring a sense of high morale and professionalism among sheriff’s deputies. Someone who will promote people on merit. Someone who will put his primary focus on serving the citizens of Milwaukee County rather than building his ego.

And as we said when the governor appointed Rebecca Bradley to the state Supreme Court, Walker should avoid picking someone who will be a candidate for the office next year. We have no doubt that the people who have declared their candidacy or are thinking about it are well-qualified. But incumbents have an advantage in any race, and giving one a leg-up at this point would be unfair not only to the other candidates but to county residents as well. Pick an interim sheriff and let the voters decide from a slate of newcomers next year.

Now that Walker finally has the chance to replace Clarke, we urge the governor to see that Milwaukee County is better served by a new sheriff than it ever was under David A. Clarke Jr.