Reserves a Key Part of Sheriff’s Department

Sheriff Adrian Garcia—November 10th, 2011

Like me, you could probably use more hours in a day to check off every item on your ‘to do’ list – or even just to relax or sleep an extra hour or two. Then there are those who, despite having their plate full with a full-time job and family responsibilities, somehow find the time and courage to serve and protect the public for free!

This is what the men and women of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Reserve Command do. I call them volunteers on steroids.

The reserves have the same legal authority and responsibilities as regular sheriff’s deputies except that they volunteer their services. That’s right, they risk their life every day without a paycheck or employee benefits.

More than 200 citizens from all walks of life serve in my Reserve Command. They include engineers, mechanics, doctors, corporate managers and lawyers. Some of them are retired law enforcement officers, including former HCSO deputies, who are willing to spend their retirement continuing to serve the residents of Harris County. One of my most remarkable reserve deputies is 91 years young and serves on our Marine Unit! His name is Lt. Tom Morgan and he patrols by boat on the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston. He became a reserve deputy at 76, after serving our country as a Marine. He, and the rest of the reserve deputies, are, in my opinion, the ultimate public servants.

During these challenging economic times of hiring freezes and reduced personnel, the reserves have proved to be critical in keeping the operations at the HCSO running as smoothly as possible so as not to compromise your safety. Last year alone, they put in more than 119,000 work hours and saved Harris County taxpayers $3.5 million.

Two weeks ago I attended the graduation of 23 additional reserve cadets. They too found the time somehow to put themselves through our 52-week training at the academy and have now hit the ground running.

We’d love for you to become a reserve officer, too. Meantime, please help us by looking after your neighbors, reporting suspicious activity through our smart phone app iWatchHarrisCounty and thanking our deputies for their hard work – paid or not.

Originally published on the Cypress Creek Mirror