Lavaca County sheriff cites jail overcrowding, drug seizures and task‑force partnerships in 100‑day report

Sheriff Stephen Greenwell told the Lavaca County Commissioners Court on April 14 that his office’s first 100 days in office have produced a steady stream of traffic enforcement, drug investigations and interagency work — and that the county jail is operating near capacity.

Greenwell said patrol deputies conducted what he reported as 620 traffic stops in the 100‑day period, leading to seven criminal arrests, including one seizure of about 2.2 pounds of methamphetamine that was referred for federal prosecution. “One of our main focuses is to keep our roadways and communities safe,” Greenwell said.

The sheriff outlined other enforcement outcomes: he told the court his deputies identified 24 noncitizens during vehicle stops and transferred them to federal immigration authorities, and that drug‑tracking investigations produced seven search warrants and eight felony drug arrests. “We will work collaboratively with municipal police departments, the county attorney’s office, the U.S. attorney’s office and lean heavily on resources provided from Operation Lone Star, task forces, ICE and HSI,” Greenwell said.

Why this matters: Greenwell linked enforcement and detention numbers to county budget and operations. He said Lavaca County’s maximum jail capacity is 48 beds; the average daily population (ADP) for the 100‑day period was 38 and the morning of April 14 the facility held 41 inmates. He told the court 31 of those 41 were facing or convicted of felony‑level charges. “For the last 100 days, the average length of stay for an inmate at the Lavaca County Jail is 120 days,” Greenwell said, and added that mental‑health encounters are affecting length of stay.

Greenwell gave a per‑inmate cost figure: “It’s been calculated that we spend about $41 a day to house an inmate,” he said. The sheriff did not present a county‑verified total daily cost for the current population during his remarks.

The sheriff described operational consequences of near‑capacity: Lavaca County sometimes transfers inmates to Calhoun County for overflow; Greenwell said Calhoun charges $55 per day per inmate and the trip to port Lavaca is about 75 miles one way. He also said the county pays roughly $6,500 monthly on average for overflow housing over the previous six months and, for the 100‑day period he’d been in office, that figure was about $17,000 (Greenwell framed these as estimates he and his command staff compiled).

Greenwell asked the court and the public to consider mental‑health needs and longer pretrial custody times as contributors to the lengthy average stays and said he had begun administrative changes to move defendants sentenced to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) more promptly.

Dispatch, court security and staffing: Greenwell reported dispatch is fully staffed — “we have eight dispatchers plus a supervisory dispatcher” — and described equipment and ergonomic upgrades. He also said the sheriff’s office has reorganized courthouse security, creating a team of bailiffs led by Sergeant Raul Diaz to provide courtroom and courthouse security while freeing patrol deputies to focus on patrol duties.

On staffing models, Greenwell told the court that using part‑time bailiffs can save money compared with the previous model and allow full‑time deputies to perform core duties. He said he drafted an analysis showing a projected savings (Greenwell reported roughly $60,000 in potential salary savings under his model) and said the county will continue coordinating with constables and judges on courthouse security.

Task forces and interagency agreements: During the meeting the court approved two items Greenwell discussed: an amendment to the interlocal cooperation agreement to participate in Operation Lone Star task‑force activities and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to permit federal task‑force reimbursement from Treasury forfeiture funds when joint operations produce reimbursable expenses. Captain Joshua Savic, who Greenwell identified as a task‑force officer, told the court that the HSI MOU also allows the county to seek reimbursement for overtime tied to task‑force work and to share in asset‑forfeiture proceeds when applicable.

What’s next: Greenwell said his office is compiling proposals and operational changes to present to the court in coming meetings, including advisory‑board input from a planned 30‑member citizens advisory board and a ministerial advisory board to gather community input.

Ending: Commissioners thanked Greenwell and his staff for the report and voted to approve the Operation Lone Star amendment and the HSI MOU during the same meeting. No new, specific timeline for jail expansion was adopted at this session.