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Sheriff asks court for evidence‑facility, patrol deputies and jail supervisors amid staffing strain
Summary
The sheriff's office requested a climate‑controlled evidence drying facility, additional patrol deputies and jail sergeants, and described long intake/release delays and operational overtime driven by vacancies.
Sheriff Hooper and department leaders told the commissioners court the office faces multiple operational shortfalls that hamper evidence handling, response times and jail throughput.
CID officials described recurring difficulty processing wet or bloodied evidence without a climate‑controlled drying facility. A captain said the office sometimes had to improvise on wooden tables and risk contamination; the department estimated a 20‑by‑16 prefab, climate‑controlled building plus stainless work tables and a dedicated dryer would cost in the vicinity of $75,000 for the shell and another $4,000–$8,000 for drying equipment.
“Our labs currently do not accept a wet item… We don't have that facility,” the CID captain said, citing recent cases with blood‑soiled clothing and public‑health concerns (hepatitis C, HIV) that make rapid, secure handling essential.
The sheriff’s patrol captain asked for six deputies and one lieutenant to restore coverage closer to historical staffing levels and described long county road miles and dangerous single‑officer responses to domestic violence calls. He requested four replacement patrol vehicles tied to the personnel increase.
Jail leadership asked for four additional sergeants to reduce an excessive span of supervisory control and to speed booking and release processing; Chief Arnold said current delays between bond posting and release average multiple hours and that adding supervisors at intake and booking could cut processing time substantially.
The sheriff also highlighted chronic vacancies: the jail typically runs 20–30 vacancies and the department recommended targeted recruiting and a modest initial pay increase for cadets to improve applicant quality.
What happens next: Commissioners asked staff to provide detailed cost estimates (including full equipment and hardening costs for the evidence building), to look at vehicle leasing alternatives, and to meet separately with sheriff’s staff about overtime, recruiting and filling vacancies.
