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The public can trust law enforcement officers

Officials say that one bad incident doesnt speak for institution

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  • Tara Bozick •
  • Originally published July 8, 2008 at 3:12 p.m., updated July 8, 2008 at 3:12 p.m.

Only time, results and communication will heal the Victoria community, law enforcement officials say.

“The people’s trust is violated,” Victoria County Sheriff T. Michael O’Connor said. “It disgusts me to no end.”

But that’s purely an emotional reaction, he added, as he must retain objectivity as the county’s chief law enforcement officer. He advises residents to be cautious before making judgments, as all the facts of the case aren’t yet available for public review.

Former Victoria County Sheriff Michael Ratcliff accepted a plea bargain Thursday in which he pleaded guilty to aggravated perjury, or lying to a grand jury about having sexual relations with his accuser.

For Ratcliff to breach the public’s trust while in office is intolerable, O’Connor said.

“It misrepresents what sheriffs are all about,” O’Connor said. It taints law enforcement through an associated perception, he said.

“Unfortunately, to heal something like this, it takes time and results,” O’Connor said.

Steve Westbrook agrees that time heals everything. The executive director of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas advises the public not to let one isolated case taint other officers. The fact that others in law enforcement investigated and indicted Ratcliff shows no one is above the law, he said.

The association expects officers to uphold the constitution and laws of the state.

“We look to them to enforce those laws, and therefore, should be an example,” Westbrook said, “which is why this is disappointing.”

Calhoun County Sheriff B.B. Browning hopes the best for other officers in Victoria. It bothers him to know someone who should have been held to a higher standard could conduct himself so.

“It puts a black eye on everything,” Browning said. “It’s involved a lot of people now. I hate to see that happen to the community.”

Most people understand that people in any career commit crimes or act deviantly, and that shouldn’t reflect badly on an entire profession, Refugio County Sheriff Earl Petropoulos said. The public expects more from law enforcement and so they have to work twice as hard to regain trust, he said.

He suggests the residents of Victoria County get to know their law enforcement officers through regular meetings to ensure they have dedicated men and women serving them.

“Without community support, law enforcement is not effective,” he recited his motto. “Therefore, we need community support.”

O’Connor hopes to maintain integrity in his office and will stay above distractions. He knows the office must remain transparent to the public.

“They need to know what we’re all about,” he said about the residents. “They are the ones that can pass judgment.”

Tara Bozick is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6504 or tbozick@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.



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