Montgomery County names Police Community Relations Facilitator; Roanld Clarkson To Coordinate Citizen Complaint Process

Header--Montgomery County, Maryland. Press Releases

mh/policecommunity.pr 99-47

Contact: Cheryl Lampkin Thomas, 301-217-2500
For Immediate Release: February 16, 1999

Montgomery County Names
Police Community Relations Facilitator;
Ronald Clarkson To Coordinate Citizen Complaint Process

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan today announced the appointment of Ronald W. Clarkson of Silver Spring as the County's new Police Community Relations Facilitator. In the newly created post, Clarkson will facilitate the citizen complaint process by coordinating a system that provides accessible alternative sites for citizens who wish to file complaints against police officers for improper conduct. His employment begins February 22.

"Mr. Clarkson is well suited for this new post, and he will serve a vital role in helping to forge a better working relationship between the police and the community at large," said Duncan.

Clarkson, 36, currently serves as a special projects manager with the Prince George's County Police Department. For the past two years, he has coordinated special events and served as the Police Chief's liaison to the department's Citizen Advisory Council. Prior to that, Clarkson served as a development manager for Prince George's County working with Police Department's False Alarm Reduction Program. He was also chief of the Prince George's County Citizen Services Division, where he supervised and coordinated the County's outreach efforts to citizen groups and organizations.

Clarkson holds a bachelor's degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, and is active in the college's Alumni Association. He also serves as a volunteer reader for the Metropolitan Washington Ear, a community service for the visually impaired.

The new police facilitator position was created in June 1998 to address citizen concerns regarding the status and filing of complaints against police officers. Clarkson will be responsible for establishing and monitoring a program to assist citizens with follow up on complaints already filed, ensuring community awareness of the complaint process, and producing public information materials. He also will look at how other communities handle complaints, and will make recommendations on ways to improve the County's current procedures.

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