March 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 3

GUEST COMENTARY Texas

GUEST COMENTARY Texas Sheriff Speaks Out An open letter to the Shelby County Commissioners Court from Sheriff Kevin W. Windham. As Sheriff of this county, I feel it is my duty to respond to the recent article published by The Light and Champion, dated Thursday, February 8, 2024, titled, “County expresses concern over sheriff’s office overtime expense.” The Shelby County Commissioners’ Court met Wednesday, February 7, 2024. During the course of the meeting, overtime at the Shelby County’s Sheriff’s Office was a topic of conversation. For the 2023-2024 budget set forth by the commissioners, the SCSO is allowed an overtime budget of ,000.00 The SCSO employs roughly 50 people. Our agency never closes. Our doors are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that means we always have employees working. We are always going to have overtime. It is unavoidable. Outside looking in, we are over budget. As of February 13, 2024, we are over on our overtime budget, but we are under on our payroll budget, as well as many other line items. We are aware that we will be over budget at the end of the year, however, right now, we are right on track. Another large strain on our budget has to do with housing inmates in Panola County. We have no control over this. Mental health calls and transports take up a large portion of our budget. These types of situations require two deputies. Currently, as of February 14, 2024, we have five inmates awaiting transport to mental health facilities. When an individual is brought in on mental health issues, without criminal charges, a deputy must sit on the individual in our patrol office until a determination is made on their condition. If a higher level of care is recommended, the deputy will continue to sit with the individual until a bed is found, then at that time, we will transport the individual to the facility. This process can take two to 24 hours, not including transportation time. Transportation time is roughly six hours due to housing locations being in the Houston area. This requires calling another deputy in to assist with calls, due to not having a deputy on duty. I feel it is a personal attack on our agency for Commissioner Roscoe McSwain to state that the excess of overtime comes down to, “management, and no one is keeping an eye on what is going on.” It is no secret that my health has not allowed me to be in the office every day. However, Sheriff Kevin W. Windham. this does not mean that I am not involved with the everyday operations. I am 100 percent involved. I am fully confident in the administration that is in place at the office. I feel that Commissioner Mc- Swain is accusing my staff of stealing time, and that is completely unacceptable. Commissioner McSwain commented that, “People are just turning in their time and doing what they please, not getting their work done in their normal shift and then postponing it and doing it on overtime.” Chief Gonzales reviews every single timesheet. We have invited the commissioners to come to the office many times. We want them to see the day to day operations of the entire office; ride along with a deputy, spend time with our investigators, dispatchers and in the jail. Get a firsthand look at what a day is like. Unfortunately, as of this date, not one has responded to our offer. I find it difficult for someone to accuse us of stealing when they have yet to come spend any time at our office, and truly get an understanding for how each division operates. Crime does not stop. Mental health does not stop. Our agency is not fully staffed – none of the divisions within the office have been fully staffed at the same time in three years. Since October 2023, investigators have attended 27 forensic interviews at the Shelby County Children’s Advocacy Center. The interviews are lengthy, and in depth. Depending on the outcome of the interview, investigators could spend hours to weeks completing their investigation of the case. From October 2023, to the present; we have had 66 mental health calls, with 29 calls being at one residence. From October 2023, to the present, we have handled 3,430 calls for service. From January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023, we had 9,173 calls for service. Calls for service under the previous administration from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 were 7,289. These are just a few responsibilities we are tasked with daily; this doesn’t begin to scratch the surface.. The point is, we are doing the absolute best with what we have. We can only work with what we are given, and what is available. Unrealistic expectations will not create positive outcomes. Sheriff Kevin W. Windham EDITORS NOTE: It should be noted that Sheriff Kevin W. Windham underwent a double lung transplant surgery on Tuesday, August 22 of last year. The operation went well and he now has new lungs, according to Sheriff Windham’s wife, Brenda Windham, who has been updating the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office throughout the operation process. As a candidate for the double lung transplant since June 2, Brenda reports that he is now resting comfortably. “While this is a life changing surgery, I have faith in God, and I know that this will place me on the road to recovery,” Windham said in a KTBS interview. “I have full confidence in the ability of my administration as well as the entire staff at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office,” Windham said. In a Facebook post, Windham also mentioned after the surgery he will not be in the office on a daily basis. But he said he will continue to be very active in the daily operations of the office and the jail. Sheriff Windham also recently announced he would not be seeking re-election as Sheriff of Shelby County. We commend the sheriff for his years of service and wish him well in the years to come. 20 The Blues - March ‘24 The Blues - March ‘24 21