New League City police chief plans mental health response team

LEAGUE CITY - The city council Tuesday night named Clifford Woitena as the police department’s new chief.

Woitena, who started at the League City Police Department in 1999 as a patrol officer, previously served as assistant police chief before taking over as interim chief after the retirement of former Police Chief Gary Ratliff in June. Under his contract, Woitena will make about $177,000 a year, according to the city.

Woitena actually never thought he’d be a chief of police, he told The Daily news after the meeting.

“My aspiration was to be a patrol captain,” he said.

From that position, Woitena thought he could influence how officers serve on the streets, as well as how they’re trained, he said.

But about three years ago, Ratliff asked whether Woitena had any interest in becoming an assistant chief, where he could effect more change in the department.

Before assuming the highest role in the department, Woitena’s tenure with the organization included numerous roles such as K9 officer, field training officer, maritime safety enforcement officer, bicycle patrol officer, firearms/tactics instructor, certified mental health officer, honor guard member and a Galveston County Auto Crimes Task Force agent.

Woitena also is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and completed his service, attaining the rank of sergeant, according to the city. Of his many accomplishments, he is most proud of his role as a husband and father to four wonderful children, he said.

Woitena hopes to implement a mental health response team, something departments around the county and nation are considering. Woitena called it his “flagship” initiative and hopes to secure city funding for a dedicated vehicle and plainclothes team to respond to mental health emergencies, he said.

“We would like to develop a scaled-down version of our own mental health response unit,” Woitena said.

Woitena also hopes to provide his officers with more training, he said.

“We’re happy how the officers are doing the fundamental job,” Woitena said. “But there are some training issues I’d like to address.”

Woitena was referring to active-shooter training the state government said all officers need updates on in the next two years, he said.

“We have new mandates from the state this year,” Woitena said. “We have numerous nationally recognized instructors here. So, we do a pretty good job of pushing that training out.”

Woitena values the opportunity to serve the men and women of the League City Police Department and is honored to have spent his career serving such a wonderful community, he said.

“The community has been amazing,” Woitena said. “I am one of the guys that traveled the country training police departments. That’s been very impactful. And when I come back home, you realize, ‘Wow, I work for an amazing city and police department.’ Why would I want to go anywhere else?”