Sheriff's office reports multiple vacancies and 70 inmates at June 9 meeting

At the June 9 Burleson County Commissioners Court meeting, Chief Deputy Bill Rios provided an update on the sheriff's office staffing and jail population.

Rios said the department has several open positions: two jailers, three dispatchers, one full-time nurse, four patrol officers, one crisis-intervention-team (CIT) position and one school-resource-officer (SRO) position. He also reported that the county jail held 70 inmates — 57 males and 13 females — and that two inmates were being held off-site in Rusk and Washington counties.

Rios began by thanking those who helped honor the late Sheriff Gene Hermes. The staffing figures were provided as part of the sheriff's report; the minutes do not list immediate staffing actions taken at the meeting, though the court later approved routine motions and the appointment of the chief deputy to sheriff during the same session.