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Precinct 4 constables seek extra deputies for new building; court defers request pending budget and security analysis
Summary
Precinct 4 requested four additional deputies (said to be part of a possible need up to ten) to secure a newly opened precinct building and protect court operations; commissioners directed staff to evaluate and fold potential positions into FY25-26 budget while also asking for a short-term security analysis and interim measures.
Bexar County Constable's Office, Precinct 4, asked the Commissioners Court on April 29 for an out-of-cycle appropriation to add four deputies to staff security at a newly opened precinct building in Converse. Precinct 4 representatives testified that civil-process workload and public-facing functions at the facility create immediate staffing and security needs.
Sergeant Robert Nelms told the court the precinct—ould justify as many as 10 additional deputies to equalize civil-service workloads countywide but was requesting four as an immediate, out-of-cycle need for safety and security at the new facility. "A phased request would assist us in maintaining security of the facility and protecting the public at this facility as well as the elected officials," Nelms said.
Precinct 4 officers and supervisors described vulnerabilities at the new facility, including multiple automated entry/exit doors that allow unscreened public access, a single magnetometer screening point, and a courtroom exit door that could expose the courtroom to an interior breach if not monitored. Captains and a constable deputy emphasized that existing precinct staffing cannot be reassigned without compromising other obligations and urged action to secure the building.
Commissioners debated immediate funding for new deputies versus incorporating positions into the county's FY25-26 budget. Commissioner Justin Rodriguez moved to defer the out-of-cycle request and direct the county manager's office to evaluate the request and include it in the FY25-26 budget process; Commissioner Clay Flores seconded. During debate the court also directed staff to conduct a short-term security analysis (including whether private-security contracts used by another county office could be deployed to supplement protection) and to identify interim measures such as reprogramming the sliding front doors so they do not open automatically from the outside. Commissioner Calvert urged faster action and asked for a comprehensive report including vacancies, prior budget decisions and documentation of corrective steps.
The motion to defer and evaluate in the FY25-26 budget passed. The court also asked facilities and the county manager's office to produce a brief security assessment and recommended short-term steps (signage, door reprogramming, and consideration of private security) for immediate risk reduction. The court recorded that the requesters would receive full consideration during budget deliberations and that staff would return with a timeline and recommendations. No emergency out-of-cycle appropriation was approved on April 29.
