About Ray Nolen

My name is Ray Nolen and I’m currently a Major with the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office. I am a conservative and have worked for the Sheriff’s Office preserving our constitutional rights and keeping our streets safe for you for over 30 years and I’m now running for the office of Galveston County SHERIFF.
 
I am a resident of League City and have been married to my wife Michelle for 15 years and together we have three children and four grandchildren.
 
 
Prior to joining the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve Deputy in 1991 where I rose to the rank of Reserve Major over a period of 27 years, my interest in public safety began when I was 17 years old by joining a local Medical Explorers Post and later becoming a volunteer firefighter for the La Porte Fire Department.
 
I began my professional public safety career in March of 1987 at the age of 21 serving for the City of La Porte - Emergency Medical Service as a paramedic. There, I was later appointed to the rank of Assistant Chief in 1990 and remained at that rank for 14 years until my promotion to the rank of Chief in May of 2004. I retired as Chief of EMS in May of 2019 after 32 years of service to accept a full-time position as the Patrol Division Commander for the Galveston County Sheriff's Office as a Captain.
 
In April of 2021 I was promoted to the rank of Major over the Criminal Law Enforcement Bureau which includes the divisions of Patrol, Warrant, Criminal Investigations, Special Operations, Marine and the agencies Comptroller.

I attended San Jacinto College for my Emergency Medical Services training, University of Houston for my Law Enforcement credentials and later completed the prestigious Certified Public Manager Graduate Program through Sam Houston State University.
 
Currently I serve as a board member for the College of the Mainland – Police Academy Program as well as the Galveston County Crisis Incident Stress Management Team. Additionally, I’ve served as a Rotary Club President and a Heritage Society President.
 
 
Since becoming full-time with the Sheriff’s Office, I have:
 

• Assisted in preparing a fiscally responsible $58 million-dollar annual budget.
• Procured Narcan Kits to help deputies treat victims of Fentanyl overdoses in the field.

• Implemented specialized law enforcement programs to assist in reducing crime:
  • Multijurisdictional Organized Crime Task Force targeting countywide Narcotics, Prostitution, Game Rooms & Felony Violence.
  • Direct Area Response Team (DART) targeting countywide Gang & Drug Activity.

• Organized highly trained teams to better serve the communities needs in the performance of investigations, providing protection, and facilitating criminal apprehensions:
  • Crash Team – Certified Reconstruction Team to investigate criminal Vehicular Accidents that result in death or serious bodily injury.
  • Special Response Team (SRG) – Specialized team trained to respond to incidents of civil unrest up to and including riots.
  • Drone Team – Trained drone pilots to assist in criminal apprehensions and crime scene diagramming.

• Successfully applied for and was awarded grant funding totaling over $4.6 Million for:
  • DWI STEP Programs - to target impaired drivers throughout the county - $40,000 annually.
  • Body Worn Cameras – over 250 BWC’s are now worn by every uniformed deputy, including Constable deputies, to promote better accountability, transparency, and lower use of force incidents - $150,000
  • Operation Lone Star – State of Texas funding to assist with South Texas Border security in Kinney County for needed compensation and equipment. $3.1 Million
  • Project Safe Neighborhoods – State of Texas funding to support our newly formed DART Team in reducing Gang & Drug crime - $43,000 annually.
  • Deployment Kits -State of Texas funding to provide 240 1^st Aid Kits to all field deputies - $96,000
  • Ballistic Rifle Shields – State of Texas funding to provide 204 deputies throughout the county with Ballistic Rifle Shields - $1.2 million.

 
I’m running to be your Sheriff so together we can address our rising mental health and substance abuse epidemic, our increase in crime stemming from liberal policies and drug & gang activity, continuing the fight to keep our border secure, and work hard on reducing our law enforcement staffing shortages with innovative recruiting and retention practices.
 
With your support, I will be your sheriff and I promise to serve with integrity, commitment, and respect.