Special to El Rrun-Rrun
For years, former Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio came before the commissioners court asking for more personnel for patrol and the jails.
For years, the commissioners promised to do what they could but slim budgets prevented them from giving him any more personnel.
Now, in his bid to stake out his turf, Sheriff Eric Garza has done just the opposite. He gave up the 15 deputies under the supervision of Pct. 2 Constable Abel Gomez of the commissioners' courthouse security fund and replaced them with his own personnel. The courthouse security fund paid the 15 deputies' $579,487 salaries, plus all the other health, retirement, and other benefits.
Where will Garza get the funds to place his people in the courthouse as security plus all the other benefits. In removing 15 deputies from the sheriff's workforce, will he have to short change the other duties of his office such as keeping a safe jail and protecting the public in the rural areas?
Or will he resort – as some loose tongues are wagging – that he and his cadre of supporters are looking for dirt on the individual commissioners to bend them to his will?
The 15 deputies under the courthouse security fund have already been assigned to the tax and elections office, the Dancy Building, and other county sites that had been asking Gomez for security personnel.
During the inquiry into the status of the 15 deputies, it was found that one deputy had been assigned to the tax office and is considered a tax office employee.
Sources in the department say that Garza drafted patrol deputies, investigators, the entire civil process division, and K9 handling officers to cover the courthouse security duties.
As the commissioners were getting ready to transfer the budget and personnel to the sheriff, Gomez asked that supervisor of the deputies, his former chief deputy Joseph Lopez, be returned to his office and not be included in the transfer, Garza flat out refused.
As a result of 445th District Judge Gloria Rincones dissolving the Temporary Restraining Order preventing Garza or any of his agents like Chief Deputy Robert Gracia and Deputy Silverio Cisneros from taking over the court security duties of the 15 deputies, all of them were removed from their work
sites and were placed under Gomez.
Someone wondered whether Rincones should have recused herself from the case because as a district judge in a local court whose security interests are affected her decisions would impact on her directly, an obvious conflict of interest in any ruling that she issued. Regardless, she ruled in favor of Garza, but had no authority to remove the budget – under the authority of the commissioners court – from Gomez.
This is Cameron County, of course, and things get very political very quickly. Gomez did not support Rincones in her previous two bids for a judgeship.
And Gomez also supported former sheriff Lucio when Garza announced against him. Instead of initiating a transfer through the budget amendment process, he and his administrators unilaterally rescinded the Memorandum Of Understanding and physically went to the courts to inform the deputies that they were under the sheriff's command to to report to him daily on pain of termination.
Is that what this boils down to? Political retaliation?
If the former sheriff complained about a shortage of manpower, then the current sheriff department administration is short an additional 15 deputies past the manpower shortage Lucio asserted existed there. Is this a victory?
Will the budget for 2021-2022 include the 15 deputies going to the sheriff when he comes around asking for more personnel?
Stay tuned to the next move by the commissioners court.
Will they appeal Rincones' ruling because of her apparent conflict of interest? And will they use her assertion from the bench that Garza had not adhered to the budget amendment process in the appeal?
It's not over, Rover.
16 comments:
Robert Gracia is the joker in this story. Why didn't he run for sheriff if that is what he wanted? His abuse of Sheriff Eric Garza is epic, as if Tonto had angled himself into The Lone Ranger's garb and mask.
Amateursville!!!
Add into the equation 15 deputy slots for Courthouse security, plus all the deputies that have resigned, plus all the jailers that keep resigning = At least 70 VACANCIES!!
That is a liability across the county. Lack of patrol for the entire county, not enough jailers to oversee the inmates. Guarantee they will not pass any kind of inspection. Let's what else this bozo will fuck up next?? He makes over $2000 per paycheck he can't even get himself a new coat. Come on Mr. Sheriff you wanted to be Sheriff now look the part. Doesn't your so called wife tell you that you look bad as you walk out the house. How embarrassing. At this point why don't you wear the Sheriff Uniform and display your badge #101.
What a shame that the county has come down to this. What a disgrace.
County Legal department better get their shit together and get Garza and Gracia out soon. I'm a citizen of Cameron County and I demand action now!!!!
3-ring circus? That would mean fun & funny stuff.
This is Lucha Libre Night in the barrio!
Cheap theatrics!!!
Keep shaking the tree. There are plenty of budget items too big for their needs. Plenty of employees sitting on their hands. Too many chiefs and not enough indians. Change is difficult Maybe the shake up will reveal a few weak spots. Not a big supporter of new admin but it's needed. Like taking the sweet air conditioned court room jobs. They could be some innovations. Judges are too fixed on their own police force. Maybe they need to hire private security. Private security contractors are much cheaper and sometimes much more efficient. Many ways of saving money and keeping judges safe.
Good story. I don’t think the commissioners court will need to appeal anything. The decision works in their favor. It also builds a burden to propose removal. Dissolving the temporary order was done because the budget is still of the commissioners court, so the order didn’t matter any more. It’s not really in favor of the Sheriff and the Sheriff used the order to prove his lack of leadership, professionalism, and business acumen. All those items will be important to the commissioners court. Also, the order isn’t legally binding until it’s actually signed. This is another proof of concern being validated.
Trying to protect them lmaoooo THEY DONT WANT TO WORK FOR ABEL MAN GET THAT CLEAR.... ITS A SHAME HOW NOWWWWW ABEL AND THE JUDGE AND COMMISSIONER'S ARE JUST WASTING TAXPAYER MONEY.... DEPUTIES AT THE DANCY PLUSSSSS SECURITY HAHAHAHAA.... ELECTIONS HAVE 2 DEPUTIES ALSOOOO NO MMSSSSS.... Just fyi the deputies are the ones gtn the short end of the stick....
Give Eric the Jail, Courthouse security and make him be the Animal control officer too. After all those are his constitutional duties but Take away dispatch. Put it under a county entity supervised by all chiefs and constables with one dispatch director. Leave the sheriff budget as is and make him use his existing budget to include courthouse security. Increase the budget of each constable and have them take over Law Enforcement duties in the unincorporated areas of Cameron County. Easy fix.
The problem to the answer..is that of old school wanna be cherifitos..
Para bailara la namba se necesita una poca de..
KNOW YOUR PLACE!
DONDE HAY SHERIFF ..CHIRIFITO NO GOVIERNA.
The Democrats ways to give free stuff, like basic income, free community college, open borders, stimulus checks and free spending our hard-earned income taxes is not good and in the end will be a disaster! The government are just buying you, so you can forget and forgive them for committed fraud in the election and for making it harder to own guns! La gente de vende rapido con un pinche plato de comida! Hahahaha! Enjoy your safe vaccines idiotas!
Eric Garza is to Cameron County what Joe Biden is to America...a puppet for his party, unqualified, clueless, lost, embarrassing, and a complete failure!
April 30, 2021 at 11:47 AM
I D I O T A !
Pop y reggaetón latina judge WOW how sad
Is she also wearing ear buds???? must be a fashion thing over at the county we'll soon see el chapo (enanito) next and that furniture store owner also...
THEY ARE ON SALE AT AMAZON WHITES ONLY HAHAHAHA
April 30, 2021 at 9:46 AM
The US government has to help the poor and the unemployed. Providing social help to those that need it, doesn't hurt the economy. It inspires the poor to be better and to become part of the middle class.
The Republicans help themselves only. The Republicans think they are rich...but only the rich Republicans get all the money...the poor Republicans are fed lies and become violent.
The Republicans will always control the USA.... they are just letting the Democrats enjoy some good times for a little while....the Republicans will be back to torture us, abuse us, and destroy us: the poor.
The Republicans gave money to the banks, to Wall Street, etc americans lost their homes, their ranches, their lands....and the Republicans did not help those true Americans.
The problem at the sheriff office went from guatemala to guatepior this means from bad to worse. Now Sheriff Garza has a Major at the jail who always favored his drinking buddy's and protected them from all the immoral thing they have done. Like having sex with inmates, also throw away sexual harassment complaints from female guards. Cover up assault on inmates just because the ones that committed the assaults where his pals Making overtime positions for them that had no merits and was a waist of tax payers money to give The jail has the same administration but now all the bad seeds have better positions. Now this bad seeds are now Majors, Lieutenants, and Sergeants and sorry to say it Sheriff Garza you put them there. 'Toma' later this will bit you in your royal butt. Tecole and the Texas Ranger should investigate all the wrong doing that is being covered up at the jail.
So why so much anger with Chief Felix Sauceda:
You be the Judge How'd all this attention get focused on Chief Felix Sauceda well here is the true story.
Most of the people writing in say because of his poor leadership that is correct but not his fault he had never really been a true supervisor at any level as a Sergeant he wasn't on the streets for very long then moved to evidence room and jail. Then over to the Special Investigations Unit where he really messed things up, comprised himself and the Police Department and probably would be sitting in jail somewhere if it wasn't for the kindness of the former Chief Rodriguez. Chief Sauceda was removed immediately than allowed to promote where he became a Lieutenant and spent his time as the Commander's secretary where most of his time was spent sending out emails.
Now for the rest of the story, when the Commander he worked for became entangled in a power struggle with Commissioner Tetreau over guess who Diane Martinez. The fight was over Diane's scheduling Because Diana refused to work late and did not want to work weekend's so she involved her good friend Commissioner Tetreau who then called the Commander at the time and told him to change Diane's schedule immediately and threatened to end his career if she didn't get her wish.
Well here is where It all got crazy Ex- Chief Orlando Rodriguez had all ready put in for retirement so he left the most senior Commander in Charge James Paschal. Now Lieutenant Felix Sauceda seeing the opportunity to advance made friends with Commissioner Tetreau promising that if he was made Chief of Police he would take care of the commissioners best friend Diane.
So the story unfolds; At the order of Commissioner Tetreau
Acting Chief Jams Paschall then demotes Commander Dale and makes Lieutenant Felix Sauceda ACTING Commander a position he holds very briefly, a short period later to everyone's suprise he is named Chief of Police over some very qualified individuals. So whoever said that Chief Felix Sauceda is not at fault for Diane's actions well that's not totally true but Chief Sauceda sure played a major role. Diane was given a special work schedule that no one knew about or even where she was assigned to work.
Now back to her arrest it is common practice that minor thefts are given a citation and released but if an officer is involved those decisions to arrest come from the Commander and Chief. So with Commissioner Tetreau and Diane no longer friends this was the Chief's time to get revenge on Diane. Typical Felix Sauceda!!
#worstchiefever..
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