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Kaufman County approves JAG grant application for 3-D crime-scene scanner; sheriff presents annual activity trends
Summary
The commissioners approved applying for a 100% JAG grant to buy a 3-D crime-scene scanner (about $120,000). The sheriff also presented a year-end summary showing some categories of crime down while jail admissions and prisoner holds rose.
Kaufman County commissioners voted Jan. 21 to allow the sheriff’s office to apply for a Justice Assistance Grant to purchase a 3-D crime-scene scanner, and heard the sheriff’s year-end activity and financial summary.
The vote authorizing the grant application followed a presentation by the sheriff’s office, which said the scanner would cost about $120,000 and the award would be a 100% grant. The sheriff said the equipment would let deputies process smaller scenes without relying on the Texas Rangers’ equipment and help avoid overtaxing regional resources. Commissioner Moore moved to approve the application; Commissioner Crow seconded, and the motion carried after a voice vote.
The sheriff also reviewed a set of department metrics for the year. He told the court that inmate holds at county facilities resulting from out-of-county transfers increased substantially, saying TDC (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) holds rose by about 60 percent and that daily admissions and releases were up about 22 percent year-over-year. Training and internal course hours increased — course hours up 40 percent and student attendance up 34 percent — and the narcotics unit reported higher activity, with arrests up roughly 57 percent and case filings up about 34 percent. K-9 deployments and agency assists increased by roughly 43 percent and 47 percent, respectively.
The sheriff reported some crime declines and mixed results in other categories: homicides were down about 50 percent, thefts down roughly 26 percent, robberies were up about 14 percent (one additional case), and overall reported crime for the county declined by about 3.7 percent compared with the prior year. The sheriff credited staffing, training and grant-funded equipment with part of the improvement and asked the court to support salary and retention measures so deputies do not leave for higher-paying city agencies.
Commissioners discussed the staffing challenge and acknowledged that some cities and protective districts can offer additional sales-tax funded incentives that make retention harder for the county. No additional funding decisions were made during the meeting; commissioners said they would continue to consider budget options.
The court approved the sheriff’s request to apply for the JAG grant and accepted the sheriff’s monthly financial reports for November–December 2024 as presented.
