Former chief deputy to be laid to rest today

Dennis Richter’s friends and family members will be joined by law enforcement officers across the state and members of the many community groups the former chief deputy devoted his energy to as they remember his life of service at Seydler-Hill Funeral Home today.

Richter succumbed to cancer after a long battle with the disease, but he was courageous to the finish.

Now the people of Gonzales will have to adjust to a life that Dennis has since departed — but we can always hope to cross paths again in a different one down the line.

He was born in Gonzales and graduated from Gonzales High School in 1980.

Dennis devoted his life to helping others; a fact evidenced by his many years of work in law enforcement as well as his work with Norma’s House and recent resurrection of the Gonzales County Crime Stoppers organization.

“I always had a passion for law enforcement,” Dennis said in a 2013 interview of his decision to become a cop. “I can remember as a kid seeing [then Sheriff] D.J. Brzozowski, Curtis Parsley and Glen Sachtleben, who was the game warden back then, around town. Man, those guys were like gods to me. That’s when I decided I was going to work in law enforcement.”

Eventually, Dennis worked his way into achieving his childhood ambition.

“I went to the police academy and, after I graduated, I got a job as a police officer in Cameron,” he said. “I worked for them for almost eight years. Not long after I started there, I was promoted to investigator and later chief investigator. But eventually I decided to come back to Gonzales ‘cause this is where I’m from, and this is where I want to be.”

During his stay in Cameron, Dennis earned his master’s degree in criminal justice administration.

“When I came back to Gonzales, I went to work for the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office where I remained for 17 years,” he said. “I was promoted to chief investigator while working for them, then I was promoted to assistant state fire marshal director of investigations. I spent a little over two years driving back and forth to Austin every day.”

Eventually, Dennis got an opportunity to come back to Gonzales and work for the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Department, which he did — with great gusto.

“I became the chief deputy, which is great ‘cause that’s where I belong,” he said.

Of all the perks of working in law enforcement, Dennis said the best one was the fact that he was in a position to help others - particularly victims of theft or violence.

“Yeah, I like being able to help people,” he said. “As a patrolman and an investigator, I really enjoy helping someone get their property back if it’s been stolen. I like knowing I made them happy to get their belongings back. Another aspect is helping someone who has been assaulted to get justice. That’s very rewarding for me.

“As an administrator, it’s very rewarding to help the younger, less experienced officers find their niche,” he added. “I take great pleasure in helping other law enforcement workers develop their careers.”

Dennis was also the vice president of Norma’s House Children’s Advocacy Center as well as the leader of the new Gonzales County Crime Stoppers organization.

“Working with Norma’s House is such a worthwhile cause,” he said. “I am dedicated to helping with children in distress. And having Crime Stoppers back in Gonzales County is great. I’m so happy to have that organization up and running again.”

As for advice for those who aspire to pursue a career in law enforcement, Dennis said hard work and integrity are the recipe for success.

“Do well in school,” he said. “Take some college courses if you can. Law enforcement is changing and liabilities are ever increasing. The more training you can get, the more prepared you will be to take the job.

“You have to be a person of high integrity and have a willingness to do the right thing,” he added as an afterthought, “Be fair and enforce the law equally.”