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Callahan County sheriff reports 22 inmates, staffing overtime and multiple winter house fires
Summary
At the Jan. 13 Callahan County Commissioners Court meeting, the sheriff's office reported 22 inmates in custody, ongoing staffing overtime tied to investigations and vacancies, and three additional recent house fires including two total-losses.
The Callahan County Sheriff’s Office reported 22 inmates in custody, continuing overtime in dispatch and deputy staffing, and three additional house fires during the Jan. 13 Callahan County Commissioners Court meeting.
The sheriff’s office reported “We have a total of 22 inmates in our custody, 17 males, 5 females,” with an in‑county breakdown of three males and one female; seven males and zero females housed in Colvin County; and seven males and four females housed in Taylor County. The office said some inmates are being held out of county because of bed space and case assignments.
The sheriff’s report included overtime figures tied to coverage and investigations. The office said dispatch recorded 30.35 hours of overtime for one pay period and deputies 38.5 hours; for the next pay date the office reported 62.75 hours of dispatch overtime and an additional amount on the deputy side. The sheriff’s presenter said some overtime resulted from a recent homicide investigation and from filling shifts while deputies were on planned leave and vacancies. “Again, when we have a deputy out, that ship's gotta be covered,” the presenter said.
The sheriff’s office also briefed commissioners on a recent fatal house fire whose cause was listed as undetermined after fire marshals investigated. The presenter said first responders found a wood‑burning stove at the scene and a resident reported placing a log onto the stove, but investigators could not determine a definitive cause. Two victims were transported to Abing Hospital and one later to Lubbock; one fatality was confirmed at the scene.
Since that incident, the county reported three additional residential fires over the weekend: two in Cross Plains (one a near total loss, one attic fire) and one in Bayonet that county officials described as a total loss. The sheriff’s presenter said, “It is that time of year,” and urged caution without offering new county policy changes at the meeting.
Commissioners voted to accept the sheriff’s report during the meeting; the motion passed unanimously.
Less critical details: the sheriff’s presenter noted delays in hiring tied to required psychological clearances and a shortage of physicians available to sign off on required evaluations for new hires.
