www.tcsheriff.org

MESSAGE FROM SHERIFF HERNANDEZ

Sheriff’s Office patrol dep-uties are a visible part of daily life in the county. It might surprise you to learn that we also employ nearly 1,000 correctional officers and civilians in two facilities most of you will never see; the Travis County Jail and

the Travis County Correctional Complex. This month we celebrated Correctional Officers Week and Nurses Week, honoring the men and women who work each day in this unusual and demanding environment. Averaging 2,500 inmates each day, our jail popula-tion is larger than that of some Texas towns. For the 10th year in a row, our jails passed their required state inspection without deficiencies or corrective measures required. Our jails also passed their first Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) inspection, an accomplish-ment few other jails have achieved. These accolades are the result of extraordinary employees who go the

extra mile to care for our inmates and our facilities. The Texas Jail Association (TJA) held its annual con-ference in Austin two weeks ago. It was a pleasure to welcome its participants and to converse with them about a common concern we all face on a daily basis in our jails - inmates with mental health issues. You can count on me, along with other sheriffs and jail administrators across this great state, to continue to seek support and services for those who have been incarcerated as a result of their mental illness. We are seeking solutions that offer help and sustainability. I am very honored to congratulate Sergeant Edwardo Jackson on his election to a three-year term on the TJA Board of Directors and Lieutenant Frances Dembowski on her appointment as Secretary of the TJA Board. bWe have much to be proud of and plenty more we can

NATIONAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WEEK

BUCKLES BACKING THE BADGE COFFEE WITH THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Residents of Travis County may not know who Bailey Kay Hutson is, but if you live in Dripping Springs, you probably do. She comes from a rodeo family and, for many years, has hosted her own bull riding competi-tion to benefit charities she believes in. This year, Hut-son chose to donate to the 100 Club of Central Texas, an organization that provides financial support to the families of fallen officers. She called her event “Buckles Backing the Badge.” Born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, resulting in paralysis from the waist down, she has faced unimag-inable odds her whole life. Despite her hardships, she’s not a complainer. She’s a doer, and we all benefit from her kindness and generosity.

This month, the Whataburger at I-35 and Howard Ln. hosted us for a two hour event we call “Coffee with the Sheriff’s Office.” Sheriff Sally Hernandez and members of our Command Staff mingled with customers at the restaurant for coffee, breakfast and good conversation. Several of our captains even jumped right in to work the drive-thru window and deliver food to the custom-ers. The look on people’s faces as they drove up to the window was priceless; their laughter and smiles as they drove away was even better. We really enjoyed the morning interaction with the citizens we proudly serve. We’ll advertise the next one on our Twitter and Facebook pages soon…hope you can join us!

On May 9th, the Travis County Commissioners Court issued a proclamation recognizing National Correctional Officers Week in Travis County. To honor our officers, TCSO supervisors provided a meal for all staff on duty at both the Travis County Jail and the Travis County Correctional Complex. The meals were made possible by charitable contributions made to the Travis County Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Association and The Travis County Sheriff Officer’s Association.

National Nurses Week is recognized May 6th – 12th to acknowledge nurses for their dedication to making a difference in people’s lives. We are honored to recog-nize our nursing staff for their contributions and com-mitments to our inmate population. Our great nursing staff goes above and beyond in patient care.

The Courthouse Security Unit of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office provides security (uniformed bailiffs) for 16 out of the 18 courts at the Criminal Justice Center, including district and county courts. The unit is staffed with 58 Deputies, 7 Security Coordi-nators, 3 Sergeants and 1 Lieutenant. Year to date, dep-uties arrested 271 persons, responded to 596 incidents and screened 294,434 individuals entering the multiple facilities under their control.

The TCSO Family would like to congratulate the follow-ing employees upon their retirement. We wish to thank you for your dedicated service to not only our agency but, most importantly, to the citizens of Travis County you have proudly served. We wish you continued suc-cess in your future endeavors.

John Cravatt, Senior Deputy 25 years of service

Todd Hastings, Senior Corrections Officer26 years of service

Bradley Peyton, Senior Corrections Officer21 years of service

Ron Rizzato, Accountant Associate31 years of service

Mark Wester, Detective 28 years of service

Mary Rodriguez Wester, Detective28 years of service

COURTHOUSE SECURITY UNIT TCSO MAY RETIREMENTS

Edible Austin Magazine routinely features elected officials in their not so well known habitat - the kitchen. Sheriff Hernandez was interviewed for an upcoming edition. Who knew the Sheriff was a gifted wedding cake maker? Not us! This well-kept secret is out of the bag now. Italian Cream Cake, yummmmm!

EDIBLE AUSTIN MAGAZINE NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

The Travis County Sheriff’s Reserve Officer Association established a scholarship honoring former Reserve Dep-uty Steve Titsworth who passed away in a helicopter accident in 2011. During his career, Titsworth worked as a fireman and a paramedic with the Austin Fire Department. He also served the community by volunteering with the Civil Air Patrol, For the Love of Christi, Challenge Air and with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve Deputy. The 2016-2017 Steve Titsworth Scholarships were awarded to Julie Lorenz and Hailey Orton. Lorenz is the daughter of Lieutenant Belinda Mangum and Orton is the daughter of Senior Deputy Curtis Orton. Each received a check for $1,000 for college expenses.

TITSWORTH SCHOLARSHIP

Nextdoor is a website that allows neighborhoods to cre-ate private groups open to only the folks who live there. It makes communication among neighbors easier and faster, helping to build safer communities. Creating a neighborhood group or joining one already established on Nextdoor is a great tool to use every day to help keep you safe. Use Nextdoor to reduce crime by:

l Inviting your neighbors to join Nextdoorl Enhancing your Neighborhood Watch Groupl Creating a new Neighborhood Watch Groupl Registering your phone to get urgent safety alertsl Sending urgent alerts to your neighborsl Reading messages from area law enforcement

NEXTDOOR FIGHTS CRIME

do. I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about our cor-rections employees and come to appreciate them as much as I do.

NATIONAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WEEK

Congratulations to COBRA Class #83 on your graduation May 26, 2017! The TCSO Training Academy offers a Corrections Officers Basic Recruit Academy (COBRA) for all new-hire Corrections Officers. Corrections Officers attend the COBRA course while on-duty within their first year of employment.