Since Jan. 1, incoming Hockley County Sheriff Chris Wischkaemper has hit the ground running and alongside him is former opponent and now Chief Deputy, Jared Dockery.
Following the campaigning and election results for the elected position of sheriff, Wischkaemper says conversations with Dockery show that both of them are on the same page when it comes to a lot of topics.
“It is going to take a while to get a hang of things, but with Jared here I know we are in a good spot,” said Wischkaemper.
A month prior to being sworn-in as sheriff, both Wischkaemper and Dockery attended a new sheriff’s training event. It was at that time the duo learned it was unheard of to appoint an opponent as chief deputy.
“I am proud that we worked through everything, and I am grateful to have Jared,” said Wischkaemper. “His institutional knowledge and understanding of how the county government operates is great.”
In regard to changes within the department, Wischkaemper assured his personnel that changes were not going to be abrupt and would take at least a month before beginning the process to make changes.
Staying true to his word, the sheriff has shared his thoughts with his personnel about future changes and has received a receptive response. One area of change Wischkaemper would like to enact is a change in uniform to give the department more uniformity.
Referring to his days with DPS (Department of Public Safety), Wischkaemper is considering the implementation of a committee or group to be responsible to research ideas, compile suggestions and provide recommendations.
Now in the role, the sheriff has been able to get a feel for how things are within the department despite it only being a handful of weeks.
One thing of notice has been the need for more jail personnel and deputy positions. Knowing that it will take some time for those additional positions to come to fruition, Wischkaemper knows that will include working with the county commissioners and the budget.
“I have been excited to get to know the deputies and the jail personnel,” said Wischkaemper. “On the law enforcement side of things, we are down to one position which is unheard of for someone coming into the sheriff’s position. We are also full on the jail personnel side of things which is great as well.”
Wischkaemper highlighted that during campaigning, recruitment and retention were a topic of discussion. With the change in leadership, four deputies did seek opportunities elsewhere. Wischkaemper was pleased with the department’s ability to fill the vacant roles despite a looming change in leadership.
“I hate to even say it, but it’s been slow since I’ve been here. As the cases come in, I look forward to taking an active role in trying to help investigate some of these crimes and solve them,” said Wischkaemper. “I’ve said it all along, we have to create an environment where citizens can be proud of the work we’re doing as well as the commissioners.”
Wischkaemper acknowledged that there has been a learning curve since entering the role of sheriff.
With the civil process and jail standards having a large amount of detail in each category, Wischkaemper felt the training he attended did help, but knows there is still much to learn.
Another responsibility attached to the sheriff’s position dealing with bail bond businesses within Hockley County.
“There is quite a bit that the sheriff is solely responsible for, so it will be slow going trying to figure out everything,” said Wischkaemper. “I don’t necessarily always know the answer, but I know where I can find it and I know there are great resources around me to help make good decisions and judgments.”
Looking toward the future of the HCSO, Wischkaemper shared his excitement as he has seen how ambitious and energetic his staff is on both the law enforcement side and jail side.
“I’m excited to help develop their careers,” said Wischkaemper. “I was fortunate to have mentors in my career and people that went to bat for me. They played an important role in developing me into an officer. I want to play that same role for the people here.”
In the jail side of things, Wischkaemper has been vocal about bringing resources such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and the 12-step program for recovery. The sheriff is also working with a gentleman to introduce a celebrate recovery program.
“I know these programs are going to solve our overcrowding problem, but if we can save two, three or four lives it’s beneficial and it’s worth doing,” explained Wischkaemper. “It doesn’t cost anything. I’m looking forward to bringing programs like that to the jail and trying to keep people from recidivism.”
Another aspect of the job that excites Wischkaemper is working with the community. Prior to becoming sheriff, Wischkaemper had a lot of experience working in Hockley County in the criminal side of things.
When it came to campaigning for the position, the sheriff shared how impressed he was with the community and the care there is for the county.
“I would have loved to run an unopposed campaign, but you are a better office holder when you run for the campaign because you spend almost a year talking to the citizens of Hockley County,” said Wischkaemper. You learn what they want. What I thought they wanted when I started the process was totally different than when I ended it.”