Prince George's Suite Magazine Commemorative Edition Sheriff Melvin High

Suite Prince George’s

Who’s Really In The Suite?

A Great View Of Prince George’s County, Maryland

A SALUTE TO SHERIFF MELVIN HIGH Raoul Dennis Publisher/Editor-In-Chief D. A. Phillips Associate Publisher Frank Dexter Brown Editor At Large Raoul Dennis, Amir Stoudamire Advertising Tiffany Young Editorial Assistant

Raoul Dennis Art Director/Page Design

Sumiya Davis, Roxana Cruz Design Consultants

Homeowners within the county (30% are also working on investment homes).

Amir Stoudamire Senior Photographer

Writers D.A. Phillips, Tiffany Young, Cecil Merkerson, Frank Dexter Brown, Raoul Dennis Photographers Raoul Dennis, Amir Stoudamire, Alicia Adams

Consultants & Support Barbara Frazier, Mildred B. Dennis, Ysabel Garcia de Lopez and Eugenia Hopkins Editor Ad Infinitum Ed Brown

Prince George’s Suite magazine is published four times per year by RADENN MEDIA GROUP, LLC, P.O. Box 1066, Oxon Hill, MD 20750. 410/553-2084.

Subscription rates: $20/year in the United States and all its possessions. Single copies $4.95, plus $1.50 shipping and handling. Periodicals postage paid at Oxon Hill, MD 20750, and at additional mailing offices. All editorial and advertising correspondence should be addressed to RADENN MEDIA GROUP, LLC, P.O. Box 1066, Oxon Hill, MD 20750 or [e-mail: editor@pgsuite.com for Prince George’s Suite magazine]. website: www.pgsuite.com. All contents © 2022 by RADENN MEDIA GROUP, LLC. All rights reserved. ISSN No. 1941-6024. All advertising inquiries should be directed toward advertising@pgsuite.com or call 410/553-2084.

Nothing in this publication can be reproduced in any manner without specific written permission of the publisher. Prince George’s Suite magazine and the RADENN MEDIA GROUP, LLC will consider but assume no responsibility for unsolicited materials; these require return postage. Postmaster: Please send address changes to Subscription Department, RADENN MEDIA GROUP, LLC, P.O. Box 1066, Oxon Hill, MD 20750. Printed in the USA

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Prince George’s Suite is a lifestyle magazine. It’s currently direct mailed to the homes and businesses of high-income residents, business and civic leaders as well as arts, culture, development and entertainment managers in and around Prince George’s County. Subscribe via e-mail: subscribe@pgsuite.com. The Suite is at select locations listed at www.pgsuite.com. PGS Magazine readers are:

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Top and middle managers of local, regional and federal offices and departments with a minimum of 10 employees in their charge.

Leaders. Nearly 75% of Prince George’s Suite’s direct mail list consists of county business, community and civic leaders. They are key voices in shaping the direction of Prince George’s County.

Reaching Beyond The County: The Suite is also now direct mailed to specific leaders in the District, Northern Virginia and Baltimore. Outside the metropolitan region, it’s shared via direct mail with specific industry leaders in travel, tourism, entertainment, relocation and development in Atlanta, GA., Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD., Philadelphia, PA., and New York, N.Y. This is done in an effort to introduce more business and travel decision makers to the living and travel opportunities in Prince George’s County.

Suite Readers

Average age: 38 Women: 52% Men: 48%

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High Command Veteran Sheriff Melvin C, High Opened Doors And Approaches To Police Work

By D.A. Phillips

This article first appeared in Prince George’s Suite Magazine entitled “Natural High” // Spring 2016

It was, pardon the pun, the wild, wild west. In 1965, six days of rioting in Watts, an impoverished African American Los Angeles neighborhood, sparked by strained tensions between the citizens in the community and police, led to more than $40 million in property damage. Long-simmering anger between black residents and an abusive, mostly white police force led to similar unrest in Detroit in 1967.

When Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April 1968, a week of civil unrest swept across the country--with the biggest riots taking place in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It was into this climate that Melvin High, now sheriff in Prince George’s County, Md., began his career in law enforcement. From 1969 until 1993, High was a member of Washington,

D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department.

“We kept each other’s counsel,” High says of being a young African American officer at that time. He explains that he and other black officers stood between the frustrations in the community and racial challenges within the department.

the work that you do,” he says. He tends to partake in community events and participates in social support networks.

“We also have to show people that people don’t have to be fearful of us,” he explains.

A Question Of Balance

A Different Kind of Policing

Overall, High’s approach to policing and life are about balance.

“My family helped me begin on the road to self-discipline,” he says. “The military helped me to perfect it. I share with them my view of how you must be a self-disciplined person – especially if you have had pain in your life you can’t let drive you to the wrong place.”

Soft spoken and even keeled, High always saw the job through more analytical lens. “You have to get beyond the numbers. Every crime that I see lets me know there is a victim in that situation.

You burrow down to the humanity of issues and that drives your passion for

For Melvin High, it has always been about service but it wasn’t always police work. He wanted to be a teacher, he says. “For a while I did have an opportunity to be teacher. But I went into the military. I went to war and then I saw a different phase. I knew I could make a difference in my community and country to change the direction of law enforcement.”

But the drive to educate, develop new direction stayed with him – making the veteran more than a beat cop building toward a pension.

Preceding his service as Sheriff in Prince George’s, High served as the

appointed Chief of Police of Prince George’s County. He led the department in ensuring the safety of the residents of the county’s 23 cities and towns.

During his time in D.C. law enforcement, High was responsible for crime prevention; criminal investigations; and the safe management of annual parades,

the District for three months in 1993.

High took his crime-fighting philosophy to Norfolk, Virginia, where he was chief of police for 10 years and saw crime reduction in that city in each year of his administration except 1995.

A Leader Among Law Enforcement

When High joined the D.C. police force, there weren’t a lot of faces that

police department.”

Kim C. Dine, who met High when he joined the third district right out of training school, counts the sheriff as instrumental in his now 40-year policing career, too.

“Right from the start he was a mentor and role model due to his knowledge, comportment, dedication and commitment,” says Dine, who recently retired as chief of the U.S. Capitol Police. “I was fortunate to have him as one of my many role models who enabled me as well [as to help me] rise up through the ranks.”

The Challenges of The Present Shape

Vision for The Future

festivals, demonstrations and protests in the nation’s capital. He implemented the city’s first community policing initiative.

High also introduced crime prevention strategies such as CRO (Community Resource Officers), SRO (School Resource Officers), Police Cadets, mobile office programs, and the expansion of tactical crime prevention efforts.

He received a mayoral citation for commanding the successful investigation and apprehension of a serial killer known as the “shotgun bandit”, who terrorized 4.

looked like his.

Though few in number, the black officers helped each other.

That support helped his officers, both black and white. Leonard Cooke, a Washington, D.C., police officer in the ’70s, says he owes part of his success to High. “My first interaction with him was when he was a captain in the third district, one of the first African American captains in the third district. That was a breath of fresh air cause he took an interest in a lot of the officers and I was one of them,” Cooke says. “He really stood out. He was steady, knowledgeable. He wasn’t faking in the way that he carried himself. When you asked him a question, he would give you thorough and thoughtful deliberate answers. He started to mentor a number of people that stood out that he could teach. He would stress getting education and studying for promotions within the A SALUTE TO SHERIFF MELVIN HIGH

The recent wave of police violence around the country isn’t off putting to the veteran professional. “Police violence is something that we have seen before,” he says. “In the ’60s and late ’70s, it was actions that were handed down in terms of what we do in our communities.

Then it was from the top down. Now, it’s more from the bottom, up. We are in a better place than we were in the ’60s and ’70s.”

“While we are having some turbulence in policing around the country in this moment, I don’t want our community to lose sight of how critical policing is. We have to overcome this gulf between police and citizens.”

To that end, the sheriff wants to introduce more children to 21st century law enforcement. “I knew I could make a difference in my community and country by helping to change the direction of law enforcement when I came onto the force. I believe that I can fix things,” he says. “I teach that to the kids at schools, too. I want to expand our middle school program with our young people. I want to make sure that they see law enforcement as a great career option.”

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Alsobrooks: Join Us In Prayer, Salute

Sheriff High worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals and families throughout our community

By Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks

We are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sheriff Melvin High. Sheriff High has been a dedicated public servant to the residents of Prince George’s for nearly 20 years & will be remembered for his service to our community & commitment to the safety of Prince Georgians. He served as our Sheriff for nearly 12 years and has

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worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals and families throughout our community during his tenure.

Sheriff High was especially involved in efforts to fight domestic violence in our community, launching the annual Purple Light Nights Program in October during his tenure. We are asking Prince Georgians to join us in praying for Sheriff High’s family, including his wife, Brenda, and his daughter, Tracy, as they navigate this very difficult time.

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A Leader’s Leader Sheriff Melvin High:

Council Chair Calvin S. Hawkins, II Shares Council Condolences Upon The Passing of Prince George's County Sheriff Melvin C. High

By Prince George’s County Council Chair Calvin Hawkins

friend. Preceding his service as Sheriff, Melvin High served as the appointed Chief of Police for Prince The entire Prince George's County George’s County, leading the nation’s Council was shocked and saddened to 32nd largest local Law Enforcement learn of the passing of Prince Agency in the delivery of basic law George’s County Sheriff Melvin C. enforcement services to a High. Our thoughts and prayers are Metropolitan County of nearly for Sheriff High’s entire family at 900,000 residents and serving as a this most difficult time, especially his principal advisor on public safety. beloved wife Brenda, and their daugh- A devoted public servant, Sheriff ter, Tracy.

High has been recognized as the conWe also extend condolences to the summate law enforcement and crimimore than 300 deputies and civilians nal justice professional. He served Sheriff High had responsibility for and protected a grateful constituency leading, managing and commanding and while his passing leaves an to protect and serve the citizens of immense void in the lives of his famiPrince George’s County. We have all ly, colleagues, friends, and Prince lost a leader, colleague and dear Georgians, the impact of his life’s 6.

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work will endure for generations to come.

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Exemplary

Statement on the Passing of Sheriff Melvin High From Prince George’s County State’s Attorney

By Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha N. Braveboy

I am saddened to hear of the sudden passing of our beloved Sheriff and my good friend, Melvin high. I became acquainted with Sheriff High in 2003 when I was tasked with getting him con-

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firmed by the County Council as Chief of Police for Prince George’s County.

He has had an exemplary career in law enforcement, spanning several decades and various jurisdictions, becoming the elected Sheriff of Prince George’s County in 2010.

In that role, he successfully led and managed his department and spearhead-

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ed numerous crime prevention efforts to keep Prince George’s County safe and provide hope for our future. For me, Sheriff High was a supporter, an advisor and a mentor. I will miss him as a colleague in law enforcement, but I know that his body of work and good deeds will live on.

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A Lifetime In Law Enforcement

Estepp: ‘He Epitomized Integrity’

By Business Roundtable President/CEO M.H. Jim Estepp

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Melvin High spent a lifetime in law enforcement serving the community, chasing bad guys and reaching out to those in need with assistance. His reputation as an honest and extremely qualified Law Enforcement Executive brought innovation and success to the County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff High served across a broad spectrum of policing jobs.

Before his multiple elections as Prince George's County Sheriff, Mr. High was Deputy Chief of the Metropolitan Washington, DC, Police Department; Police Chief of Norfolk, VA, and our own Prince George's County, Md. His work delivering food to the needy and shut-ins at Christmas and other times of the year as well as bringing his own brand of innovation and professionalism to his assignments is commendable. When you think of someone who epitomizes the integrity and dedication needed to be a superb public servant, you think of the compassion and empathy constantly displayed by Sheriff Melvin High. Truly a man for all seasons. He will be sorely missed.

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PRINCE

The Family Of The Shield High Loved The Agency, Gave Everything To The Service Of Others

By Prince George’s County Sheriff Darrin C. Palmer

This message was first posted Nov. 18, 2022

It is with profound sadness that I am announcing the passing of Sheriff Melvin C. High. Sheriff High was feeling ill and checked into Washington Hospital Center where he passed earlier Nov. 18. I have been in contact with his wife, Brenda, and his daughter, Tracy. I have shared my personal condolences, those of the agency, our law enforcement community, and those of this community who dearly loved and respected Sheriff High. The family is asking for privacy at this time and I implore everyone to respect their wishes.

I have had the pleasure of being associated with Melvin C. High for nearly 20 years now. I have unending respect for him, and it has been the highlight of my professional career to have worked for

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and with him. Sheriff High is the epitome of the law enforcement professional. He is learned, thoughtful, caring, and the consummate teacher. I have watched as he fielded calls from chiefs around this country seeking his input and guidance. He always assisted. He deeply loved this agency and worked tirelessly to grow and improve it, and he sought every day to make Prince George’s County a better place. He lent his talents, not just to law enforcement, but to matters of health, education, and all aspects of government.

Sheriff Melvin C. High was an exceptional human being who gave everything he had in service to others. He is loved and will be deeply missed by everyone.

Sheriff High appointed me his Chief Assistant Sheriff when he took office twelve years ago. According to Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings, Section 2-309, upon his untimely passing, the A SALUTE TO SHERIFF MELVIN HIGH

role of the Chief Assistant Sheriff is to assume all the powers, duties, responsibilities, and obligations of the Sheriff.

As such, I was sworn in today at 3 p.m. to serve as Sheriff of Prince George’s County and will uphold that obligation until the new Sheriff-elect John Carr is sworn in next month. I want to thank the men and women, sworn and civilian, for their kind words and support during this very difficult time.

I again share my deepest sympathies and condolences to the High family. I know Prince George’s County mourns with me and our agency on their loss.

Eternal God, please let Sheriff Melvin High rest in peace.

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