Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.'s departure will be good for department and Milwaukee County

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr. is being considered for appointment as assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Partnership and Engagement.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. is finally headed to a job in the Trump administration, something he’s been pining for, for a long time.

It’s good that Clarke is leaving, and we hope he can do a better job in Homeland Security than he ever did here. We'll be watching to see.

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.

OPINION: Clarke stealing Trump's playbook

Gov. Scott Walker now must select a highly regarded law enforcement professional to replace Clarke. Back in March, we offered some advice on that topic. Here’s an excerpt from that editorial:

"The governor should avoid playing politics, and appoint a steady, thoughtful, professional leader — qualities sorely needed after years of neglect by Clarke, who, after a promising start, used the office to build his personal brand.

"Walker should pick a law enforcement professional. Someone who will enforce the law and be tough on criminals, while respecting the civil rights of all citizens. Someone who understands modern policing techniques. Someone who won’t call on citizens to keep guns always at the ready in their homes because law enforcement officers might not get there in time.

POLITIFACT: Sheriff Clarke's file

"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.

"Pick someone who is capable of cleaning up the mess at the County Jail where four people, one a newborn infant, died last year. One of those inmates, suffering from severe mental illness, died of homicide by dehydration.

"Pick someone mature enough to deal with other officials respectfully and honestly. Someone who won’t call the medical examiner and berate him about releasing public records to the citizens who own those records, or challenge the county executive (figuratively) to a shoot-out at high noon. Someone who will deal with a reasonable budget assigned to his department without name-calling and without always demanding more from taxpayers.

"Pick someone who won't abuse his office by ordering deputies to detain and question a citizen who complained that all he did was dare to shake his head at the sheriff's Dallas Cowboys fan gear on an airplane. Someone who won’t resort to playground name-calling of critics via social media. Someone who won’t disparage legitimate peaceful protest movements as beneath contempt. Someone who will provide the public with the information it needs in a timely manner.

Pick someone who will put his primary focus on serving the citizens of Milwaukee County rather than traipsing around the world on book tours or campaigning for a candidate he hopes will give him a higher-profile, higher-paying job."

Now that task has fallen to Walker. And it’s the governor’s job to see that Milwaukee County is better served than it has been under David A. Clarke Jr.