Feb 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 2

sons. The way the Harris County
Jail has been managed has been
labeled by employees as “The
Culture of Death” and it has
become not only a Public Safety
crisis, but a Human Rights issue.
My solution: We must reintroduce
deputies back into the
Jail. The experiment of having
civilians with only five weeks
of training staffing the Jail has
failed miserably. The idea to save
taxpayers’ dollars has ironically
cost millions more due to multiple
lawsuits, overtime, and outsourcing
detainees out of state,
not to mention multiple needless
deaths. The “culture of violence”
is perpetrated by undertrained
civilians. When I joined the Harris
County Sheriff’s Department
in 1980 as a deputy jailer we had
a lot less problems than we have
today with a lot less deputies,
and we certainly did not have a
national stigma of a “culture of
death” an “expectation of violence”,
or a “place of torment
and punishment”. Deputies must
be the ones that control the jail,
not the inmates. I have over 38
years in law enforcement, retiring
as a lieutenant from the
Houston Police Department in
2014, and as an Assistant Chief
Investigator from the Harris
County District Attorney’s Office
in 2020. It is time for change!
VERGIL RATLIFF
As a public servant in law enforcement
for more than thirty-eight
years, I bring a varied
amount of experience, both of
which is essential in the role of
an effective leader. I am currently
employed as Captain
with the Texas Comptroller of
Public Accounts - Criminal Investigation
Division, Professional
Standards. I have patrolled the
streets of Houston and Harris
County, primarily working in
black and brown communities. I
have worked undercover in various
capacities from purchasing
and selling narcotics to posing
and soliciting prostitution. I have
investigated allegations of inappropriate
behavior and/or criminal
activities of officers while
assigned to the Internal Affairs
Division-Personnel Concerns.
Yet, while all of the aforementioned
assignments are notable,
my most rewarding experience
was as a Police Activities League
(P.A.L.) Officer. I mentored and
cultivated relationships with inner-city
kids in the Cuney Homes
community. Many of them call
upon me today for advice and
guidance.
In the 1990’s, when communities
across the country were
being infiltrated with crack cocaine,
I organized a community
of people in Acres Homes. They,
along with law-enforcement
officers, developed strategies to
combat drugs in their community.
The organization was later called
the “Acres Homes War on Drugs,”
and for my leadership role I
received the Presidential 1000
Points of Light Award from President
George H.W. Bush. Based on
my extensive law-enforcement
experience and my known commitment
to community service, in
2010, I was appointed by City of
Houston Mayor Annise Parker to
serve on the Board of Managers
for the Greater Harris County 911
Network. As of this date, I continue
to serve on the Board of Managers
as an appointee by Mayor
Sylvester Turner.
I have received numerous
awards, commendations, and
recognitions throughout my law
enforcement career. In 2019 I
was recognized with a life saving
award and for Women in Leadership
in 2023 by the Texas Comptroller.
Over the years I’ve cultivated
my leadership by attending
classes, workshops, conferences
and seminars. I have accepted
leadership roles through employment,
political appointments, and
community volunteerism, all of
which have afforded me the opportunity
to exercise my acquired
leadership skills through practical
application.
I am hard-working, dedicated
and committed to professionalism
and excellence. Although
my chosen profession is under
attack and scrutiny, I continue
to wear the badge proudly and
remain committed to restoring
community faith and trust in law
enforcement.
The Blues - February ‘24 97