As Bexar County gears up for another round of budget deliberations, a study commissioned over a year ago to assess the need for law enforcement personnel in unincorporated areas has become a pressing concern. According to the San Antonio Report, despite unanimous approval from the Bexar County Commissioners Court for a study to be conducted by July 31, 2023, the necessary scope of work is still not ready, leaving county officials scrambling to play catch-up.
The study was meant to guide the county's budget decisions, but even with the approval of funds for 50 additional deputies to patrol regions such as Alamo Ranch, the awaited analysis has yet to begin. Bexar County Manager David Smith admitted to a lapse in the process, telling the San Antonio Report, "I didn’t know that the court expected us to put together the scope of work until Commissioner Moody talked to me early in the spring this year," Smith is now pledging to "expedite as fast as we can."
Complicating matters, the Bexar County Sheriff's Department, along with Commissioner Grant Moody and Sheriff Javier Salazar, continue to emphasize the urgency of the study. Salazar, frustrated with the delays, told the San Antonio Report, “When you put something like that on the official record, you expect it to happen. … When you’re talking about first responders — those that protect and serve our community — how do you delay something like that?” The study's delay places them in an uncomfortable race against the budget clock, with the potential of a second consecutive year where critical staffing decisions may proceed uninformed by the study's insights.
Despite the hiccups, there is a shared goal among county officials, such as County Judge Peter Sakai, who voiced a desire to gauge the impact of the new deputies on crime rates in unincorporated regions. Sakai stressed to the San Antonio Report the importance of data, saying, “Bring back at least some metrics [and] data — tell me what the return on investment is.” Meanwhile, Ron Tooke, president of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County, highlighted an ongoing staffing concern, stating, “We’re short-staffed, but we still have to provide the services that are needed out there,” suggesting that an additional 100 to 200 deputies may be necessary to address public safety needs adequately.
