Meet The Candidates: Sheriff

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Roughly two months remain before the primary election, with early voting starting on July 7 and Election Day arriving on July 19. Who are the candidates on this year’s ballot? The Voice asked each of them to submit a short bio to share their respective backgrounds and priorities.

Here are candidates for county sheriff.

Jim Fredericks

Jim Fredericks is the current sheriff of Anne Arundel County and was elected in 2018. He is a lifelong county resident and the only candidate who has dedicated his or her 30-plus-year career of law enforcement service to the citizens of this county.

Fredericks started as a federal officer at Fort Meade in 1992 and was a county police officer for 26 years, with 20 years of supervisory and command experience. He has been married for 34 years and has three adult children and three grandchildren. He received his associate degree from Anne Arundel Community College and has a bachelor’s degree in labor studies.

He ran in 2018 on a platform to restore integrity to the sheriff’s office, address outstanding county warrants and modernize the agency. To that end, he has engaged communities through outreach efforts and a new smartphone mobile application to enhance community awareness and transparency. Fredericks created the only online warrant database in Maryland, combined with his Safe Surrender program and a tip line for criminal activity, which has dramatically increased crime tips and self-reporting for wanted persons. Safe Surrender improves deputy interaction with citizens in the community and reduces the likelihood of negative interactions during warrant service. The office has been significantly modernized through improved courthouse security, upgraded and enhanced agency technology and communications, and a new facility for all sheriff’s field operations.

The new facility near Annapolis Mall expands sheriff services to two locations and improves safety and security for office employees. This facility allows for new training opportunities for the office, provides enhancements to the canine program, and a gym for employee health and well-being. The sheriff’s plan is to continue innovations in warrant service, expand security technology at the circuit court, and to continue improving the safety of deputies and citizens through even greater outreach.

James McNeill

James McNeill is a Republican running for sheriff. He is a small-business owner, and he has also worked for the Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland Aviation Administration and Annapolis City Police Department.

To learn more, go to www.mcneill4sheriff.com.

Warren Porter

Warren Porter, who brings 30 years of law enforcement experience, believes he is the choice for a safer Anne Arundel County. Growing up and raising his own family in Anne Arundel County, Porter knows the values we all hold.

Having worked the streets, air, and waterways of Baltimore City for 20 years and nearly 10 years with the Anne Arundel County Sheriff's Office, Porter is prepared to tackle the issues facing our sheriff’s office today. Getting violent offenders off of our streets, establishing weekend coverage to eliminate more stress on our county police, and motivating the dedicated staff of the sheriff’s office are a few of his priorities.

Porter is experienced, educated, highly decorated and a dedicated leader. He is committed to our county. He believes he is the safer choice for Anne Arundel County.

For more information on Porter and his campaign, visit www.porterforsheriff.com.

Everett Sesker

Everett Sesker is a proud son of Anne Arundel County. He was raised in Edgewater, surrounded by a large extended family who values community and making the world a better place for all. Like most kids growing up in south county, Sesker spent his summers riding his bicycle from Edgewater to Mill Swamp and Sands Road to play basketball with friends and family. His Friday nights were always spent in Annapolis visiting his grandmother and longtime Annapolitan Teresa Hicks on West Washington Street. A standout scholar-athlete and graduate of the South River High School class of 1985, Sesker was awarded a scholarship to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, double majoring in communications and political science. Sesker was a first-generation college graduate and this defining moment in his life laid the foundation for 30-plus years of stellar leadership throughout the great state of Maryland.

In 1990, Sesker joined the Prince George’s County Police Department and served for 22 years. As a decorated law enforcement officer, he has served in various leadership capacities, most notably as the commander of the training and education division, supervising the education and training of new officers. He also had the responsibility of ensuring both sworn, civilian and student officers adhered to all training requirements set forth by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions (MPCTC). Additionally, Sesker served as commander of the Narcotic Enforcement Division and Community Services Division.

After serving the citizens of Prince George's County and retiring as a major in 2012, Sesker has been a trailblazer on issues that matter most to citizens: accountability and integrity in law enforcement. He was appointed as the executive director of the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission in 2017.

He has since moved back home to Anne Arundel County, ready to make a difference in the community that has nurtured and protected him since 1967.

He lives in Tracys Landing with his wife, Jessie, and two daughters, Tyler and Ryan.

To learn more, visit www.seskerforsheriff.com


Joe Delimater (Republican) could not be reached.

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