Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced the formation of a Law Enforcement Advisory Panel to strengthen collaboration between the comptroller’s office and law enforcement leaders across Texas.
The panel will advise the agency on implementation of key public safety grant programs and elevate matters impacting the law enforcement community that may require the attention of the comptroller or the agency’s Criminal Investigation Division.
“Texas depends on strong partnerships with the men and women who protect our communities every day,” Hancock said. “This advisory panel ensures we are hearing directly from law enforcement professionals as we administer critical grant programs and continue supporting public safety across our state.”
The panel will provide guidance on the Senate Bill 22 Rural Law Enforcement Grant Program, which supports recruitment, retention and equipment needs for rural sheriff ’s offices and prosecutors such as district attorneys, as well as the Senate Bill 8 Sheriff’s Immigration Law Enforcement Grant Program, which assists counties participating in federal immigration enforcement agreements with personnel, training and operational costs.
Panel members will review program implementation, share best practices from the field and raise emerging issues facing Texas law enforcement agencies. Additional members may be added as the advisory panel continues to develop.
Panel members include Bill Waybourn, Sheriff, Tarrant County (Chair), Randy Aguirre, Sheriff, Bee County, Al Auxier, Sheriff, Kendall County, Hunter Barnes, Sheriff, Hill County , Joseph “Guy” Baker, Sheriff, Jim Wells County , William A. “Tony” Bennie, Sheriff, Grayson County, Ricky Bishop, Sheriff, Taylor County, Thaddeus C. Cleveland, Sheriff, Terrell County, Richard “Rick” DeLeon, III, Sheriff, Matagorda County, Wesley Doolittle, Sheriff, Montgomery County , Brian Hawthorne, Sheriff, Chambers County, Tracy Murphree, Sheriff, Denton County, Jacob Putman, Criminal District Attorney, Smith County, Bo Stallman, Sheriff, Brazoria County, Brian L. Thomas, Sheriff, Potter County.
For sheriffs’ and constables’ offices, SB 11 grant monies require that county can authorize the use of the grant money for the other allowable expenses, the county must first use the grant money to meet minimum annual salaries of the county sheriff, deputies who make motor vehicle stops in the routine performance of their duties and jailers whose duties include the safekeeping of prisoners and the security of a jail operated by the county. Available funds and qualified expenditures are based on county population. A qualified county or prosecutor’s office means the office meets the standards provided by the law.