Sheriff’s office reports 46 in jail, staffing vacancies and $390,074 in jail diversion activity

The Burleson County Sheriff’s Office reported current jail population, staffing vacancies and recent diversion activity during the Commissioners Court meeting on Oct. 10.

Chief Rios told the court the jail held 46 people — 39 males and 7 females — and listed open positions including three patrol officers, five jailers, two dispatch positions and two school resource officer vacancies. Shawn Edwards reported the office had 52 jail diversions totaling $390,074 and noted the county received a "Super Heroes" award from NAMI Brazos Valley for work with law enforcement.

Why it matters: staffing shortfalls affect daily operations, response capacity and the workload of remaining officers; diversion programs can reduce costs and jail populations, and the $390,074 figure quantifies recent diversion activity cited to the court.

Raileen Murray provided a 2023 grant report indicating 18 total grants (attachments referenced). The court approved acceptance of a FY24 Victim Assistance Coordinator grant funded by VOCA for $63,939.60 with no local match.

The minutes record these figures and recognitions but do not include additional operational details such as staffing timelines or program eligibility criteria. The court did not take separate formal action on staffing at the meeting beyond policy approvals affecting holiday and leave accruals.