[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 186 (Thursday, December 1, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1196-E1197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PAYING TRIBUTE TO MELVIN C. HIGH, SHERIFF OF PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 1, 2022

  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I want to recognize the loss of an 
exceptional law enforcement official and community leader in Prince 
George's County, Maryland: Sheriff Melvin C. High. After a barrier-
breaking career in law enforcement spanning 53 years, Sheriff High

[[Page E1197]]

passed away on November 17, 2022, just weeks before he was set to start 
a well-deserved retirement. Although many throughout the region and 
throughout the country will mourn his loss, his legacy endures through 
his profound impact on the communities he served and on policing 
broadly. Most importantly, his memory lives on through his wife, 
Brenda, and his daughter. Tracy.
  Throughout his life, Melvin displayed an unyielding commitment to 
serving others. After teaching high school science in Mississippi, he 
served his country in Vietnam as a United States Marine. When he 
returned, he joined the Metropolitan Police Department here in 
Washington, DC in 1969. As one of the only Black officers in the ranks, 
he had to work his beat on foot since the police cruisers were reserved 
exclusively for his white colleagues. When he left the department after 
24 years, however, he did so as Assistant Chief of Police--the first 
Black person in the department's history to serve as second-in-command. 
Melvin then spent a decade as Chief of Police in Norfolk, Virginia, 
before he came to Prince George's County in 2003.
  Melvin was appointed Chief of the Prince George's County Police 
Department at a time of immense distrust between law enforcement and 
the community. He worked to restore the public's faith in his 
department by improving accountability, addressing mismanagement, and 
implementing policies to build safer communities. From rewriting the 
department's use-of-force policy to instituting the county's first 
system to detect and track the early signs of abuse, High's stringent 
standards and innovative leadership got his department back on track. 
Prince Georgians were so pleased with his work that they elected him to 
serve as their county's sheriff in 2010 and again in 2014 and 2018. In 
that role, he continued to make accountability a priority and worked to 
bring attention to pressing issues facing his community, including 
domestic abuse.
  Melvin faced many obstacles over the years, but he worked to 
dismantle them for those who followed in his footsteps. Throughout his 
career, he cultivated greater diversity in law enforcement, developed 
more equitable and more effective community policing methods, and 
mentored numerous officers. While Melvin's many achievements are 
impressive, his humility is what makes them so inspiring. Despite being 
one of the most accomplished law enforcement professionals in the 
country, he still saw himself as a father and husband first. I am sure 
that he would remind us that he was just one of the many law 
enforcement officers across America who serve quietly to keep their 
communities and country safe.
  Nevertheless, I ask all my colleagues to join me in mourning his 
loss, honoring his life's work, and wishing strength to his family.

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