EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – El Paso County officials quickly retired behind closed doors in a special meeting discussion with the sheriff’s office on Thursday, April 16.
The El Paso County Commissioners Court, Sheriff Oscar Ugarte and the county administration were inside a conference room at the Juvenile Justice Center in South Central El Paso Thursday morning.
According to a county agenda, officials are discussing the sheriff’s office budget and operations.
Officials had their closed door discussion for hours. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and jails have been met with challenges over funding and in-custody deaths.
The commissioners court also highlighted in budget discussions the difficulty of purchasing necessary equipment for the sheriff’s office in previous budget workshops.
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego says the biggest challenge for the Sheriff’s Office is overtime pay.
Ugarte declined an interview with KTSM 9 News when he and his staff left the meeting, but his office sent out the following statement:
“While we cannot comment on specific details discussed during today’s executive session,
we can confirm that conversations took place regarding the Sheriff’s Office budget and
operations.
Since taking office, I have been clear in sounding the alarm that this office faced years of
neglect. While our staffing tables may show positions filled, the operational reality is that
we do not have the personnel needed to meet the demands of our growing community.
Although we continue to meet the standards set by the Texas Commission on Jail
Standards within our detention facilities, our employees are working overtime to maintain
those requirements. That level of strain is not sustainable and is taking a toll on the
dedicated men and women who serve this community every day.
Our deputies are also working overtime on targeted operations focused on issues that
matter most to our community.
Despite these challenges, our commitment to keeping El Paso County safe does not
change. Since taking office, we have seen a 14 percent decrease in crime in our areas of
responsibility. This is a clear indication that our team is working tirelessly to deliver results,
even under difficult conditions.
We will continue working collaboratively with County Administration and Commissioners’
Court to address our budgetary and operational needs, and we remain focused on ensuring
the Sheriff’s Office is properly resourced to effectively serve our community.”
Earlier this week, Ugarte spoke with KTSM 9 News Anchor Andy Morgan about staffing needs.
“We need more detention officers. We need more deputies to properly serve this community and both jail facilities. That is something I am working with county administration and the commissioners court to try to put staffing tables up to date,” he said.
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