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Sheriff's office reports declines in school criminal charges, outlines budget and program activity
Summary
Sheriff's Office leaders told the Fiscal Court that school resource officer contacts fell 16% and criminal charges in schools fell 35% year over year; the office outlined staffing, grant-funded positions and budgeted items, and submitted its annual order and budget for approval.
Captain Jeff Abrams and Chief Deputy Dwayne Depp briefed the court on the sheriff's office's 2024 activities and budget during the Dec. 19 meeting.
Captain Abrams reviewed the school resource officer (SRO) program, saying deputies focus on relationship-building and prevention. "Our goal is zero," he said, describing the aim to prevent incidents rather than respond to them. The presentation included a slide showing a 16% drop in total school contacts and a 35% drop in criminal charges handled in schools from 2023 to 2024.
Chief Deputy Dwayne Depp highlighted the sheriff's broader operations: partnerships with the DEA task force, criminal investigations with roughly 40 active detective cases, and a recently improved fleet (the office reported driving about 800,000 miles in 2024). He said the office is not requesting additional county funds beyond budgeted items and expects to cover needed expenses through fee services and grant funding where possible.
The court approved the sheriff's lump-sum fee officials budget, annual order and related line items in the voting session. Officials also noted successes in community programming (food deliveries, "Shop with a Cop", and public events) and highlighted recent awards to deputies and command staff.
Magistrates thanked deputies and the sheriff's office for community engagement and emphasized the need for continued reporting; the court asked the jailer to provide an update in January on the recently implemented SAP program tied to jail revenues.
