JESSE BANE For SHERIFF
"No one will be tougher on crime than me."

I began my employment with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office on October 2, 1972, and remained a member of the Sheriff’s Office until my retirement on July 1 of this year. And therein lies my qualifications to become the next Sheriff of Harford County. For me there is no learning curve. I understand that the Sheriff’s Office is more than a law enforcement agency. The Sheriff is also responsible for a jail and service to the Courts. My expertise lies in all three of these areas.

During my career, I worked in and administered all aspects of the Sheriff’s Office. I know the agency, I know its people, I know their problems and concerns. I know the County, I know its people and I know their problems and concerns. And more importantly, I know how to effectively address those problems and concerns.

At one time in my career, I served as the Undersheriff. In the absence of the Sheriff, I had the responsibility for the entire agency, and managed it accordingly.

I helped prepare and argue budgets worth millions of dollars. And I was accountable for management of those budgets during the later years of my career, always bringing the numbers in the black at year’s end. And I also assumed fiscal responsibility for all grants which usually exceeded one million dollars in any given year.

I know the laws that govern the Office of Sheriff, I am familiar with the County’s Procurement Law, and I am totally familiar with the County’s budget process.

I served in management, administrative and command positions with the Sheriff’s Office since 1986. At any given time, I had hundreds of personnel and a multitude of units and divisions under my command. I have worked closely with the County and State officials over the years on matters of mutual concern. And I have traveled to Annapolis on many occasions to argue for or against legislation that would impact the Sheriff’s Office.

I served in leadership positions that in many ways impact the County today. I chaired the 9-1-1 Planning Committee that established the 9-1-1 Emergency Number System for Harford County and authored the original 9-1-1 operational plan. I chaired the committee that saw the creation of the Harford County Joint Narcotics Task Force. I wrote many of the emergency operations plans for Harford County Law Enforcement in the event of major disasters and consulted with other County agencies in the development of their earlier plans.

In an attempt to better serve my community and learn more of its problems and concerns, I serve on numerous Boards and non-profits; SARC, United Way, the Delinquency Prevention Policy Board, Harford County Partnership for Families, Inner County Outreach, Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Board, and the Fallston Community Council (to name a few).

Time will not permit me to tell you everything about my background, my expertise, my knowledge of the agency and my knowledge of the community. But, as I said earlier, I have 33 + years working in the Sheriff’s Office and in Harford County. The job of Sheriff is not one you step into for on the job training. In Harford County, if you want to be Sheriff, on the day you take the Office, you need to know the job, its people, the County and its problems. There is no time to learn those aspects of the job with which you are totally unfamiliar. And, most importantly, you need to hit the ground running or you will find yourself over run by an agency that needs leadership and a County that cannot wait for you to decide how and when you will address its crime problems.