Zak Benge Announces Candidacy for Sheriff
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – Recently retired Texas Game Warden Zak Benge has announced his candidacy for Houston County Sheriff in an online post, announcing he will be running as a Republican and asking for votes in the March 5 Republican primary next year.
Benge served as a game warden for almost 25 years before his recent retirement and lives in Ratliciff with his family. Benge noted he has accumulated almost 5,000 hours of education and training credits through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), holding advanced certificates in firearms training, interview, interrogation and certificates as a TCOLE Instructor, TCOLE Firearms Instructor, Master Firearms Instructor and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Instructor along with a Master’s Peace Officer Certificate since 2009
The Messenger was able to catch up with Benge after his recent announcement and he said his experience in law enforcement taught him communication and openness with the public is the key to good law enforcement.
“Accountability issues are very big; being transparent and open with the public. We get into issues when we’re not completely open and when we try to either omit or flat out hide information,” Benge said. “The public wants to be made aware because they pay for that office. You want to make sure that people understand for getting a service for the money they’re paying.
“You must be open and honest with what you’re planning and doing,” Benge continued. “Game wardens have to communicate with the people in the community because I can’t be everywhere. We learn very good communication skills, talking to people, being seen as just another member of the public, not just the guy in uniform, but the same guy that your kids play basketball or baseball with.”
Benge said narcotics are the root cause of many of the crimes in Houston County and he wants to work on solving those issues and be able to show that progress to the people and the county commissioners to eventually earn more funding for narcotics enforcement.
“The majority of our theft comes from the illegal drug trade; those looking to fund their next purchase of illegal narcotics. We can find ways to work cooperatively with other agencies within this county and with other agencies and non governmental organizations outside of this county to have funding and resources to address and tackle that issue,” Benge explained. “Once we start tackling that issue, I can then go to commissioner’s court and request funding for another employee or another investigator, but with data to make their decision easier to release those funds. We’ve got to show hard work and show results before they’re going to release money since they are the stewards of the people’s money.”
Benge said he hopes to increase trust in the community through better communication and increased visibility.
“We’ve got to develop that trust and of course that comes to communication. It comes through being seen, being in the community. I’m a big proponent of patrol being seen. We have to have a very strong patrol presence. Because that makes the community feel at ease. And it’s also a deterrent to those who who may be looking for a weakness and a place to do evil deeds. – to do harm to you or to your family. Our investigators need to be set set up with the proper resources and the training and the personality that they want to turn over every leaf that they can turn over to solve the crime,” Benge said.
Benge noted he has never been much for politics, but the decision to run came after many people came to him and asked him to throw his hat in the ring. Retiring, but still wanting to serve his community, he decided to take the plunge.
“I feel I’ve got a lot to offer and people in the community came and asked if I would consider running and I kept pushing it off. It finally got to the point that I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I sat down with my family and talked about where I could have the most impact in the community,” Benge said. “There’s so much that goes with that office and so much positive impact you can have. You’re able to help people and make a positive impact in their life. I will even have an opportunity to impart some wisdom and knowledge to younger officers and mould them into good officers that are well-liked in their community. The title means nothing to me. It’s the person behind that title that makes the position what it is.”
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
