Sheriff’s office reports 66 in county jail, cites multiple staffing vacancies

Chief Rios provided the Sheriff's Office report to the Burleson County Commissioners Court on Sept. 23, 2024, saying the county jail held 66 people: 60 men and 6 women. The chief also reported multiple vacancies: three patrol positions, one school resource officer, one part‑time nurse and two dispatch positions.

The report was delivered as part of the department reports portion of the court agenda; no specific motion or vote was required to receive the update. Commissioners did not record further direction to the Sheriff's Office in the minutes beyond the report of staffing needs and the roster count.

Context: staffing shortages in local law enforcement and corrections units can affect patrol coverage, emergency response and inmate supervision. The court later approved a $350,000 SB‑22 salary assistance award for the Sheriff's Office, which may be applied per program rules to support rural law enforcement salary needs; the minutes do not specify how the county will allocate the award.

Next steps: the Sheriff's Office and county administration will process any applicable grant funds and continue recruitment to fill the reported vacancies.