Cooke County discusses allowing departing deputies to buy custom body armor; staff to research policy

Cooke County Commissioners Court heard a proposal from the sheriff’s office to permit departing law enforcement personnel to purchase their custom‑fitted body armor on a prorated basis, but the court took no formal action and directed staff to research legal and policy implications.

At the meeting the sheriff’s office representative described vests as custom-fitted and approximately $1,500 each with an expected service life of five years. The office proposed dividing the cost over five years (approximately $1,500 ÷ 60 months) and allowing a separating deputy to buy a vest for the remaining prorated months. The sheriff noted that vests are costly, often cannot be reissued because of fit, and the department is short‑staffed with six patrol vacancies at the time of the meeting.

“Typically 5 years is what a vest is good for,” the sheriff’s representative said, and described the proposed prorated approach as a way “to recoup some of that money.” Commissioners asked about liability and sale of county property to employees; one commissioner suggested a release of liability could be used if policy permits. County staff (identified in discussion as “Shelley”) will check legal authorities and existing county policies and report back. The court recorded the item as a discussion with no action.

Why it matters: The proposal touches on county property disposition rules and liability exposure and would affect operational costs and gear availability for patrol deputies. Commissioners noted that other counties have confronted similar questions and asked staff to survey peer policies.

Next steps: County staff will research whether county policy or state law allows sale or transfer of county assets (including custom-fitted equipment) to departing employees under a prorated formula and will report findings to the court; the item was listed as discussion only and no timeline for a follow-up vote was specified.