Hays County Sheriff's Office recognized for 175 years of service

HAYS COUNTY — The Hays County Commissioners Court honored first responders who serve in the community on Aug. 1 by recognizing the 175th anniversary of the Hays County Sheriff’s Office.

After HCSO was organized, the first sheriff took office on Aug. 7, 1848, according to a proclamation signed by the commissioners court. The sheriff and his deputies maintained law and order throughout the county and in its cities, as San Marcos, Kyle and Buda did not establish full-time law enforcement agencies until after the 1950s.

HCSO has evolved from a group of appointed citizens to a professional law enforcement agency, employing modern technology and methods for solving crime and protecting citizens, the proclamation continued.

“Thank you for the proclamation. [One-hundred-seventy-five] years is quite a milestone and a lot of history,” said Sheriff Gary Cutler. “I would like to extend a happy birthday to the hard working men and women of the Hays County Sheriff’s Office. [Whether it be] 105 degrees or 25 degrees, they are there 365 days a year working for the citizens of this county and it’s greatly appreciated. They do a great job.”

Judge Ruben Becerra said that he appreciates the county’s first responders every day.

“Every time I get notified [or] alerted about things going on and I go to a scene, our fine first responders are always there doing their job directing traffic or closing roads. It’s just too often where we have missed opportunities to say thank you,” he said.

The other commissioners also shared their gratitude for the men and women of HCSO.

“Today, it is obviously a very complicated job to be a law enforcement officer. It’s also a very complicated job to be a corrections officer or emergency communication officer and to work within that office, [as well] as the challenge of operating a 24/7 business to protect our community,” said commissioner Lon Shell. “I do want to thank everyone who works for the office and I really appreciate their dedication to this county … They do a really good job, I believe, of trying to serve those that they represent in the best way possible and very professionally as well.”

“It’s just wonderful to get to know you better, know the work that you do and the situations you go through every day,” said commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe. “Thank you all so much for choosing this profession, sticking to it and for your service to this county.”

Michelle Cohen said that over the past few months as a commissioner, she has learned a lot about Hays County law enforcement and has built relationships with several first responders.

“I so appreciate everything that you do for this community and the sacrifices that you make for us,” she said.

Commissioner Walt Smith recalled something that a spouse of one of the HCSO deputies said at a Back the Blue rally in 2020, while also thanking the families of first responders for the sacrifices they make.

“One of our Sheriff’s Office spouses spoke at one of those events [and] she said her favorite sound is the sound of ripping velcro, because that means somebody got home safe in the morning and they are taking off their vest,” Smith explained. “I have to tell you that it stuck with me. While we say thank you for the family that is the [sheriff's office], I want to say thank you for the family that is your family, because they sacrifice just as much, if not more, than anybody else, allowing y’all to serve our community.”

Becerra invited members of the community to sign up for the Hays County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Academy. The 2023-B basic class is tentatively scheduled to start on Sept. 7. The academy is a 36-hour program with 12 weeks of instruction to educate residents about the HCSO and the criminal justice system.

Classes are held from 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays at the Public Safety Building located at 810 S. Stagecoach Trail in San Marcos, directly behind the Government Center.

“I invite anyone that is interested to apply for our citizens police academy to get a better understanding of just what the day-to-day operations are like and things they can do to understand more of what our sheriff’s department does,” Becerra said.