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With 34 years in law enforcement and public safety, Ed Clarke wants to bring what he has learned as a manager, teacher and security and safety director to Montgomery County courts, homes and the jail as sheriff.

As director of school safety and security for Montgomery County Public Schools from 2000 to 2006, Clarke managed about 213 employees with responsibility for 140,000 students and 20,000 teachers and support staff during some of the tensest times in the Washington region, including the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the sniper attacks of 2003.

"Any major event in the community is going to be felt in the schools," said Clarke, a Democrat.

Clarke is running for sheriff in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary against Chief Deputy Darren Popkin, Montgomery police Sgt. Thomas Falcinelli Jr. and 30-year Montgomery County police Officer Norman Brissett. No Republican has filed to run to succeed Sheriff Raymond Kight (D). The position's salary, which is now $135,744, is due to increase to $154,000 for the next sheriff.

Clarke's work in school security, combined with his years policing in diverse neighborhoods, has given him a good sense of the county and its needs, he said.

His chief concerns and plans are largely unchanged from the primary campaign he ran in 2006, when he challenged Sheriff Raymond Kight, who is retiring this year. Then, Clarke finished second, with 33 percent of the vote in a three-way race.

Of this year's race, Clarke said, "We need to make sure the courthouse is safe and secure and to be better prepared if there's a security breach or terrorism."

But with budget cuts, it is even more important to control overtime and seek grants to get enough staff to cover all duties, Clarke said. Those responsibilities include off-hours inmate transports, which police now cover from midnight to 8 a.m. weekdays and 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. weekends.

He also wants to do a full workload analysis and align the budget with the sheriff's mandated functions, including maintaining security at the courts, serving protective orders and court papers, and transporting inmates.

His first order of business, however, will be to hear the concerns, issues and suggestions of employees in the department, Clarke said.

mhyslop@gazette.net

He also wants to raise public awareness of deputies' roles and to work more closely with other law enforcement agencies and the community, he said.

"I always say, ‘Check your ego at the door and involve the community in a collaborative way,'" Clarke said.

-Residence: Olney

-Age: 56

-Party: Democrat

-Education: Wheaton High School, 1971; bachelor's degree in administration of justice, American University, 1975; master's degree in public administration — governmental management, American University, 1981

-Work experience: President, Clarke Consulting Group, a small Maryland-based business established in 2006 to provide safety, security and emergency/crisis preparedness and public safety consulting services to school districts and public safety agencies throughout the country; former director of school safety and security, Montgomery County Public Schools (2000-06); retired Montgomery County police captain

-Family: Married with two grown children — a son who is a Montgomery County police officer and daughter who is a senior account manager for a major telecommunications company

-Top three issues: Fiscal impact on service delivery; determine proper staffing/organizational alignment; improve courthouse emergency/crisis preparedness

-Campaign funds: Approximately $3,000

-Political experience: Ran as a Democratic candidate for sheriff in 2006

-Other affiliations: Member, International Association of Chiefs of Police; past chairman, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments School Safety Security Officer's Committee; past member, U.S. Department of Education School Safety and Security Directors/Police Chief's Advisory Group

-Website: http://edclarke4sheriff.com