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Commissioners approve three new CID positions after split debate over vacancies and public-safety priorities
Summary
After a 3-2 vote, Midland County commissioners approved three new Criminal Investigations Division positions, vehicles and equipment funded from contingency; the sheriff said the hires target human trafficking and oilfield theft, while some commissioners urged filling longstanding vacancies first.
The Midland County Commissioners Court approved three new Criminal Investigations Division positions, plus vehicles and equipment, after a 3-2 vote on Oct. 7.
Sheriff (speaker 9) told the court the three positionsa special crimes investigator, an oil-field theft investigator and a human-trafficking investigatorare needed immediately to support partnerships with federal and state law-enforcement agencies and to address human trafficking and rising oilfield crime. "We're not gonna tolerate it," the sheriff said, framing the request as essential to public safety and to support FBI and DPS task forces.
Commissioner (speaker 5) opposed the motion, arguing the county should prioritize filling about 40 existing vacancies across patrol, detention and records before creating new posts. The commissioner said many investigations start with traffic contacts and urged allocating resources to restore patrol capacity. "I'd rather fill those spots and just try start seeing kind of some results and then come back and budget," the commissioner said.
Commissioner (speaker 8) moved to create the positions and to fund salaries from salary contingency and vehicles and equipment from regular contingency; County Judge (presiding) seconded the motion. Commissioners debated vehicle and equipment line items (an $84,000 per-vehicle figure was cited for the threeTahoe-type purchases and associated upfitting). After discussion of available contingency funds and placement of positions in grade/step 11-1 and 111 in the packet, the court approved the motion 3-2.
The sheriff said some candidates already exist in the agency pipeline and the hires can be made without immediate recruitment in some cases; commissioners asked staff to provide grade/step specifics and exact equipment costs for the record. The motion directed staff to implement the positions and purchase the vehicles and upfitting as outlined, with salary and equipment funding taken from contingency accounts specified in the motion.
Next steps: staff will finalize grade-and-step assignments, calculate salary burden and return paperwork as needed to implement hires and vehicle purchases. The court recorded the procedural vote and the sheriff thanked members after passage.
