Clarence Edwards
About Clarence Edwards
Clarence Edwards is a self-employed domestic and international senior law enforcement and security consultant. He is a retired United States General Services Administration assistant commissioner who directed the national law enforcement and security operations of the Federal Protective Service; former chief of police for Montgomery County, MD, and Maryland’s first African American county police chief; retired officer in charge of the Montgomery County Maryland National Capital Park Police; and retired United States Park Police major.
Edwards holds a Master of Science degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Continuing Studies and a Bachelor of Science degree from the American University in Law Enforcement. He is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute, the FBI National Executive Institute, Pennsylvania State University’s Justice and Safety Institute, and the FBI National Academy, and he is the former president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
Edwards is an experienced CEO with extensive experience directing critical law enforcement, security, and contingency management operations at the county, bi-county, and federal levels of government. The Maryland Transportation Authority Police retained his services to provide police bias prevention training to all members of its police department. He also assisted the Maryland Transit Police to review and revise its operations protocols and policy guidelines. He has also taught law enforcement, security, and antiterrorism courses in the Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, Greece, the Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago for the United States State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security Antiterrorism Assistance Program.
Published Books
From DC Streets to Chief's Seat
As a Black youth growing up on the streets of Washington, DC, a career in law enforcement was the furthest thing from Clarence Edwards's mind. In From DC Streets to Chief's Seat, Edwards shares his journey from his teenage years on the streets to becoming the chief of police in Montgomery County, MD. Edwards recounts stories of how preparation, performance, and perseverance were integral to the growth and development of his resilience, which he credits for his personal and professional success.Edwards emphasizes the importance of designing programs that foster resilience in those preparing for careers in law enforcement. Such a commitment, Edwards argues, will yield myriad benefits, including reducing protests and calls to defund or eliminate the police. To that end, he shares insights into best practices for hiring, training, and supervising candidates for careers in law enforcement; educating police recruits on the true mission and history of policing in the United States; providing opportunities for police recruits to interact with and listen to the concerns of people in the communities before their law enforcement training begins; the importance of non-bias training throughout a police officer's career; and effective methods for monitoring and disciplining police officers' behavior.From DC Streets to Chief's Seat is a must-read for anyone concerned about reducing friction among police and minorities, especially elected officials overseeing police, law enforcement officials, and tenured personnel.