Commissioners approve jail hires

County law enforcement will benefit from three decisions the Hays County Commissioners Court made at its Tuesday meeting. 

Commissioners voted to add 11 new positions in the Hays County Jail division. After consultation with counsel in executive session, the commissioners voted to add five new corrections specialists, five new corrections officers and one new sergeant. Funds are available from the sheriff’s office and jail division’s operating budget due to attrition, County Judge Ruben Becerra said as he read the motion.

The commissioners also approved a grant application to the Department of Justice – Office of Justice Assistance Bulletproof Vest Partnership to purchase bulletproof vests for law enforcement officers. The grant will reimburse the county 50 percent of each vest purchased, and the application includes provisions for new officers and the replacement of existing bulletproof vests, which are replaced on a five-year cycle. The county will be asking for up to 38 vests; the county’s expenditure for the vests will be $13,369.

“Worth it,” Becerra said. “Every penny of it.”

The court also authorized the Precinct 2 constable’s office to purchase a wireless helmet system with shoulder mic for a motorcycle officer to use for safety purposes. Hays County resident Dan Lyon questioned the purchase and the use of motorcycles for law enforcement.

“I don’t understand why we got into this thing of having motorcycles for whoever this is for in the first place, because they’re inherently more dangerous than automobiles,” Lyon said.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Mark Jones noted that motorcycle officers are often used for traffic control and other issues he hears about at his office.

“The motorcycle is a lot more efficient than a patrol car,” he said.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Walt Smith also praised the usefulness and affordability of motorcycle patrols.

“For us in Precinct 3 we have just one motor officer,” he said. “... I’m going to support actually expanding that in this next budget cycle. … On Highway 290 we definitely need that increased enforcement.”