Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Coroner topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Liberty County coroner reports lower suicides, continued morgue pressure and staff training delays
Summary
Coroner Reggie Pierce told the Board of Commissioners that last year the office handled about 189 calls, including 16 suicides, and that staffing constraints and morgue capacity remain operational concerns; a newly hired deputy coroner cannot complete certification training until December.
Reggie Pierce, Liberty County coroner, told the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 6 that his office handled roughly 189 case calls in the past year and that some operational strains remain.
Pierce said the office recorded about 16 suicides last year and five so far this year; natural deaths numbered 133 last year. Homicides were six last year and two so far this year. "Most of our calls last year were natural deaths," Pierce said. He also reported one male and four female child deaths so far this year, compared with three male and six female child deaths last year.
Why it matters: County residents rely on the coroner to investigate deaths, certify causes, and manage temporary storage. Pierce said staffing and cooling capacity affect how rapidly cases are processed and returned to families.
Pierce described staff changes and limits on duties for new hires. "My finally got hired another full time deputy coroner ... because of training, she can't go to school until December," he said, adding that the deputy currently shadows certified staff on calls and cannot yet sign desk interviews or go to scenes alone. Pierce said another part‑time deputy is working limited weekends due to family care responsibilities. The on‑payroll trainee is eligible for comp time when she works overtime.
On morgue capacity, Pierce said the county has managed by using a combination of the coroner's cooler, the hospital cooler and, at times, outsourcing to a funeral facility when hospital space is full. "We've been able to maintain, between my morgue, my cooler space and the hospital cooler space. We've been able to have to worry about outsourcing cases," he said, adding the county has arranged no‑cost use of a funeral facility when needed.
Pierce characterized the office as operating within the current budget. "We came back with a budget this year, the same budget we had last year," he said. He thanked commissioners for vetting budgets and emphasized that resource constraints influence operations, but said the office is "truly blessed" compared with some other counties.
The coroner did not request additional appropriation at the meeting. Commissioners asked Pierce to provide a breakdown of drug‑related deaths and other cause categories; Pierce said he would supply those figures.
Ending: Commissioners did not take formal action on the coroner report at the meeting but asked staff to follow up on outstanding details and to monitor morgue capacity and training timelines.
