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

speech by Sheriff Jesse Bane after taking the Oath of Office on December 5, 2006.

             Being elected to serve as your Sheriff has been a humbling experience for me.  This is an agency steeped in history with a strength that has carried her through the toughest of times.  Since 1773, seventy-nine Sheriffs have passed the torch, requiring each who succeeds the other to make her better and stronger than ever before.  So, here I stand, number eighty, with a charge to meet the challenges that face her today and prepare her for my successor, better and stronger than ever before.

             But this will be no easy task.  Rather than spell out the problems, I wish to take the high road and tell you that Harford County is served by an outstanding group of employees in its Sheriff’s Office.  Our men and women are dedicated to the community we serve and we want to make this the best Sheriff’s Office in the State.  This we will achieve with strong leadership.

             The good people of Harford County fear crime more now than at any other time in our history.  Gangs, drugs, violence on our streets and in our homes, child predators and domestic violence rip the very fabric that defines our quality of life.  Our deputies stand ready to return Harford County to a time we remember when safety ruled our streets, peace existed in our homes, and our children were our most protected asset.  This we will achieve with a good strategic plan.

             Our children are our most valued possessions, and they are our future.  But we are losing them to violence, drugs and crime.  Our deputies see a need to better protect our children.  And they stand ready to do what other Sheriff’s Offices and law enforcement agencies have done to create a more healthy environment for our youth.  This we will achieve with initiatives that focus on juvenile crime, and the safety and welfare of our children.

             Over the next four years, you will see a change in the Sheriff’s Office.  No longer will we police the County as we have always done in the past.  We will maintain effective patrol strategies but we will also use crime analysis to determine how to best deploy our personnel.  And we will place greater emphasis on problem solving.  Other agencies have done this with measurable success and it is time the Sheriff’s Office did the same if we expect to control gangs, drugs and violence in our streets.

             And we will seek closer ties with our communities.  I have instructed my command staff to become more involved in the community and to involve the community in developing strategies to address their crime problems.  Throughout the year, I and members of my command staff will sponsor “town meetings”.  We will travel to the various communities and meet with its people.  We will listen to their concerns and discuss solutions to their problems.  We will get to know each other by our names; and we will work to build the trust we must have if we expect to achieve out mission.

             Finally, to the men and women of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, let me say that I have never been prouder than I am at this moment.  You have weathered the adversity of politics, low morale, and the loss of a brother officer.  You have done so with grace and dignity and you have honored me with your support.  The people of Harford County believe in you and they are proud of you.  I promise you the leadership you need to succeed in all you do, the compassion you need to get you through the most troubling of times, and the respect you deserve for doing a difficult and dangerous job.

             To your families, I promise to do my best to return you home safely at the end of each working day; to always recognize you for a job well done; and pray for the strength I need to support you in your times of greatest sorrow.

             To the people of Harford County, I thank you for the trust you have placed in me to be your Sheriff.  I will strive for excellence and hope to meet the expectations you have of me.  I will serve you with honor and will always place your safety and well-being above all else.  The Harford County Sheriff’s Office belongs to you.  At the end of my career, when I pass the torch to my successor, may I have made her better and stronger than ever before.

             God bless you all.