BAILIFFS GET LAS VEGAS JUNKET, TAXPAYERS LOST WAGES

By Juan Montoya

Twice this past year, Pct. 2 Constable Abel Gomez sponsored accredited mandatory Courtroom Security training at Texas Southmost College at $30 per courthouse bailiff who participated.

And just last week, the same training for Courtroom Security was offered last week in San Antonio and several bailiffs attended. And the Brownsville Police Department regularly holds courtroom "active-shooter" training seminars locally.

Neither bailiffs Leofredo Pena, Joe C. Garza nor Joel Garcia who were on the agenda for travel requests to attend courtroom security in Las Vegas chose to attend.

Instead, they placed an item on the agenda on today's commissioners court meeting and got conditional approval to attend similar training in Las Vegas. The seminar will last three days - from October 21 to October 24 - and the county will pay for the flight ($59 each on Allegiant Airlines) and hotel costs ($50 per night).

These are, of course, the Las Vegas promotional flights and discounted rooms offered to gamblers across the nation.

When Cameron County Asst. District Attorney Rene Garza presented it to the commission, he cloaked it under the guide of "active shooter" training, only to be contradicted by J.C. Garza who told commissioners it was actually courtroom security.

The idea that county employees would choose to attend training classes in Las Vegas when it is offered locally did not sit well with County Judge Eddie Trevino who told bailiff Garza he did not want to set a precedent and did not want to "send the wrong message" to county taxpayers by sending them for training in Las Vegas.

"I have been told that this training is offered locally and in the state and that (Pct. 2) Constable  (Abel) Gomez has offered it twice. Were you not invited?"

Garza replied that the bailiffs not under Gomez were treated as "the red-headed stepchild" by the constable and said that the Vegas flight and hotel rooms were actually lower than if he had sent them to training in Austin or San Antonio.

"No, we weren't invited," he answered.

Pct. 3 commissioner David Garza said that in looking through the backup documentation handed in for the travel request there was no mention of Texas Commission On Law Enforcement (TCOLE) accreditation for the training and said he would make the motion to approve the travel contingent upon proof that it was.

Pct. 2 commissioner Joey Lopez seconded the motion based upon documentation of the training credits by TCOLE.

There were also some raised eyebrows because County Court-At-Law #3 Leofredo Pena is a candidate for Pct. 5 Constable and the trip gave an appearance that he was chosen to go to Las Vegas as part of his election campaign. Joel Garcia, of the 138th, may not be the courtroom bailiff after his boss Judge Arturo Nelson retires. And J.C. GArza is a bit old to be taking that kind of training now.

But hey, Garza said they had the budget and 14 other bailiffs needed the mandatory training, so why not Vegas?

The commissioners told the auditor's office to have the poof in hand of TCOLE accreditation before cutting the checks for the travel and hotel.

According to the TCOLE website there are two 24-month periods in the current training cycle which ends on August 31, 2021.

The first 24-month period, or unit, began on September 1, 2017 and ended on August 31, 2019. The second 24-month period, or unit, began on September 1, 2019 and ends on August 31, 2021, which is also the conclusion date of the 48-month training cycle.

TCOLE also warns participants that an individual not appointed with an agency will have to receive training from an academy or contract training provider.

They also advice participants that training completed outside of those resources will not be able to be reported for credit to the individual’s record and to check with the training facility prior to completing the course to ensure proper credit can and will be obtained.

If approved, will the bailiffs be able to gamble, patronize the working girls of Vegas, and tie a few on apart from other debaucheries permitted in Las Vegas?

What happens in Vegas....