As a concerned citizen of Hays County I think we need to have an independent review of the Hays County sheriff’s office.
The recent photograph and accompanying caption regarding use of jail inmates for trash pick-up and other duties made me wonder what the true cost is to Hays County taxpayers. There were two inmates in the picture and two County vehicles. How much does it cost us to have a deputy and other staff over see the inmates? How much overtime are we paying? My guess is that there is a cost to taxpayers not a savings.
I also wonder why the Sheriff had a lighted ornament shining down on jail lobby floor illuminating a Sheriff’s badge with Gary Cutler’s name on it. What was the cost of this to taxpayers just to feed his ego? I understand the staff refer to it as his “Batman” light!
But more concerning is that correctional officers (C/O’s) who are not certified peace officers have been instructed by Chief Deputy Jamie Page to carry firearms while overseeing an inmate at Seton Hospital. The C/O’s are not qualified with the firearms and are in a violation of TCLEOSE rules. More importantly, what is the county’s liability if there is an incident with an unqualified, unlicensed jail employee discharging or even carrying a firearm?
There needs to be an immediate investigation into these issues. This is no way to run a professional law enforcement agency. I think all citizens should be concerned about the dangers the Sheriff is putting us under and the unnecessary expenses he is costing us.
Frank Morgan
Buda
