ABOUT MAURICE
Experience Can Make the Difference!
Announcing my candidacy to be your Sheriff in Bastrop County was not without a lot of thought and consideration. My life has been dedicated as a public servant; first, in the United States Air Force as a law enforcement official with service in Vietnam. Upon honorable discharge from the military, I felt a calling to be in law enforcement and almost immediately went to work in Clute, Texas as a city policemen. From Clute, I moved to the Angleton Police Department and then to the Texas City Police Department.
In 1967, I was accepted to the Texas Department of Public Safety with an assignment to the Highway Patrol. After about 4 years, I was promoted to the Criminal Intelligence Service and later selected to join a group of DPS Officers to spear head the launching of a new service in the DPS later known as the Motor Vehicle Theft Service.
At the end of my one year commitment, I applied for and was accepted as a member of the Texas Rangers. At that time, I was the youngest Ranger on the force. I served in Houston, San Augustine, and Livingston before being promoted to Sergeant and assigned to Midland. Two years later, I was promoted to Ranger Captain, and in 1985, I was promoted to the 2nd in command position of the Texas Rangers and assigned to the Headquarters in Austin.
I was then given additional duties and required to wear two hats—one hat as the 2nd in command and another hat as the Company Commander of the Headquarters Company, which was comprised of Travis, Williamson, Hayes, and Bastrop County. During this stage of my career, I was able to make my home in Elgin. Since I had a line function, in addition to my executive duties, I was able to work directly with the officials in Bastrop County for the next 4 years before being promoted to the number one command position in the Texas Rangers—Chief.
As the Chief of the Texas Rangers, I managed the resources of the Texas Rangers which included a multimillion dollar budget and the challenges that go along with the daily operation of the Texas Rangers, to include strategic planning, development of performance measurements and establishing policies, as well as working with the Legislature to gain support and funding at the state level. This would be similar to working with the Commissioner’s Court in a collaborative partnership in seeking solutions to support one of the number one priorities of the Sheriff's position—keeping Bastrop citizens and communities safe.
Executive administrative skills are paramount to the overall effectiveness of the Sheriff's ability to evaluate and assess available resources in order to make fact-based decisions to ensure a highly motivated and skilled workforce. I bring this experience and look forward to working with the men and women of the Bastrop County Sheriff office that have also committed to a profession of public service committed again to keeping Texas and Bastrop County Safe. I also look forward to forming similar partnerships with the District Attorney as a resource in forming a framework to expedite criminal cases.
As a Sheriff, the ability to function with the experience as a chief executive of the department is at least as equally important as being a rank and file law enforcement officer.
Upon retirement from the DPS after 29 years, I was commissioned as a Special Texas Ranger, which I currently hold today, but I did anything but retire. I accepted the position as the Director of Law Enforcement Training for the next 13 years for Alvin Community College. After moving back to Bastrop County in 2001, I commuted back and forth from Bastrop County to Alvin. Two years ago, I took another retirement but once again, I didn’t retire. I maintained my relationship with Alvin Community College and teach Use of Force as an Adjunct Instructor in the Police Academy.
I left school in the 9th Grade to join the military at 17, having to place education on hold, which has always been an important goal in my life. I never had the opportunity to just be a college student; all of my college education has been earned while working a full time job. Yet I have been able to earn an Associate’s Degree and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law Enforcement. Then I earned my Master’s degree in Political Science and most recently, in 2004, while teaching at Alvin College, I earned my law degree from Texas Southern University and have since been admitted to the State Bar as a licensed attorney.
I’m also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and from Northwestern Traffic Institute Police Staff and Command; currently commissioned as a peace officer, a licensed forensic hypnotist, I hold a Master Peace Officer’s License, a co-holder of a national pistol record with NRA, a distinguish alum from Sam Houston State University, a leadership award from Northwestern Traffic Institute Police Staff and Command. I currently serve as a consulting attorney on law enforcement issues and serve as an expert witness on the use of force and related law enforcement issues while maintaining my practice in Bastrop.
I want the citizens of Bastrop to know that my life commitment has revolved around working long and hard to fulfill my commitment to developing a high degree of work ethics and a commitment to perform at the highest level. As an example, during my 29 plus years with the DPS and Rangers, I took less than 10 days sick, and while attending law school, I never missed a class nor was I late for class.
I worked most of my life to maintain high work ethics and develop a well-rounded background in law enforcement management, legal issues, training and leadership skills. If I had a motto, because no one can be all things to all people it would be, do the right thing not necessarily what you have the right to do.
Now, as a candidate for Sheriff, I can only offer my many years of law enforcement and administrative experience and dedication to the fine citizens of Bastrop County, who will ultimately decide if experience can make the difference.