For too long, Sheriff Clarke has been the media’s Golden Boy, all the while humiliating and discouraging the members of the department he is paid to lead. This is not the first time he has retaliated against a deputy who spoke out against him, but the citizens and voters of this county never hear about this behavior.

At a recent County meeting to discuss Clarke’s temporary promotion policy, which has given temporary sergeant assignments to people not even eligible for the promotion based on department rules, one of his temporary appointees spoke out against him. This deputy was already high on the promotion list and by all rights should have been permanently promoted to sergeant. After Clarke’s representative at the meeting praised the deputy for how well he did his job in the temporary sergeant’s role, the deputy declared publicly that the way Clarke abuses the temporary promotion policy is demoralizing and wrong and should stop.

The very next day the deputy was called in to Clarke’s office and relieved of his temporary assignment. The reason? Clarke stated he could not trust the deputy. Kind of odd how the day before he was doing such a great job and was an excellent example of how well the temporary promotion program was working.

Upon finding the union newsletter in the deputies’ mailboxes at the jail earlier this week, Sheriff Clarke launched a “Mailbox Patrol”. He had a memo put in the mailbox of every deputy that had “unauthorized” material in their mailbox. They were told to submit a report about said “unauthorized” materials to a captain. Clarke lumped the union newsletter into the “unauthorized” category, when County policy clearly permits the distribution of union news to union members. Again, he was challenged, he retaliated vengefully. See a pattern?

Another deputy spoke out against Clarke and found himself in a similar “community outreach” program as the one Clarke conveniently created this week after the Sacred Cow article was published. That deputy was assigned to foot patrol in Metcalfe Park.

Punishing Deputy Schuh for speaking out is clearly in violation of his first amendment rights. Putting him in a dangerous situation with no back up is unconscionable. Gang members in the blocks west of 14th Street have already put the word out that they intend to “make an example of” Deputy Schuh. How can Clarke defend such actions? Judges, the Milwaukee Polics Association and off-duty deputies have called the Milwaukee Sheriff’s Association in droves offering to walk with Deputy Schuh. Is Clarke the only one who cannot see how wrong his mandate is?

Let me ask you this, of all the murders committed in the neighborhood Deputy Schuh is now patrolling on foot, how many occurred during the day shift he is assigned to walk his beat? The article I read in Sunday’s Journal-Sentinel would have me believe these shootings are happening at night. So exactly how does Clarke expect his new initiative to help stop the violence? Are the residents of the neighborhood going to feel safe because of one middle aged white officer in their midst? And how did Schuh, of all the 600+ officers employed by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (a.k.a. Department), get chosen for this assignment? What are his qualifications?

I will tell you what they are. They are Schuh’s integrity, his willingness to stand up for what is right, and his refusal to sit by while King David runs the MCSD like his own personal box of toy soldiers. Thank you, Deputy Schuh, for letting Clarke know that the members of his “Office” are not willing to put up with his personal agenda any longer. The role of the Sheriff is to lead the deputies to make this county a safer place to be. It is not to punish and humiliate the very officers who support him.

If you kick a dog enough times, eventually it will bite. Trust David Clarke to shoot the dog for standing up for itself.

Today there was a rally to support Deputy Schuh. led by the Vietnam Veteran’s Association. After the rally at the courthouse, the ralliers were going to walk with Deputy Schuh on his assigned patrol as an additional sign of support. Conveniently, Sheriff Clarke gave Deputy Schuh another new assignment today: use statistics at the courthouse to analyze the neighborhood and get to know it better. Instead of Deputy Schuh patrolling the neighborhood on foot, Sheriff Clarke is doing it himself (wonder if he’ll have his armed guards with him?). Trust King David to turn this into a media opportunity for himself. For him, it really is the MEdia–it IS all about him and the rest of the Department, excuse me, “Office”, be damned.

This is not about just Deputy Schuh’s safety, it is about the petty, vindictive nature of the man we call Sheriff. He refuses to understand that leadership through intimidation is not leadership at all. I believe that Clarke’s motto is really “Oderint dum metuant”–”Let them hate so long as they fear.” This was one of Caligula’s favorite mottoes and look what his reign did for the Romans.

Wake up, Milwaukee! There is a bad, vengeful man in the most powerful law enforcement role in the County. What are we going to do about it?

I have asked to publish this anonymously, as I know firsthand what a vengeful man we are dealing with. I am close to a member of the MCSD and I would not want that deputy punished for my views. However, I feel that the more the people and the media are aware of the actions of this egomaniac, the better off the County will be.