Flores Seeks Re-Election as Anderson County Sheriff

By Rudy Flores

Special to The Messenger

ANDERSON COUNTY – Anderson County Sheriff Rudy Flores is seeking the community’s support in his campaign for reelection in the 2024 elections.

Starting in 1982, Sheriff Flores served as a Galveston County Sheriff’s Deputy, Galveston Police Officer, and Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper, Sergeant, and Texas Ranger. He retired in 2015 with over 33 years of service in Texas law enforcement. Post-retirement, he continued to serve in a voluntary capacity as a criminal investigator in the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Flores holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Excelsior College and is a graduate of the Leadership Command College at Sam Houston State University’s Law Enforcement Management Institute. He holds certifications as a Master Peace Officer, Instructor, Firearms Instructor and Special Investigator from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

The Sheriff has been a guest lecturer at the University of Northern Colorado, Missouri Western State University, and Kilgore College where he taught a series of academic courses in forensic investigations. Sheriff Flores was one of the founding members of the Texas Rangers Crime Scene Investigation Working Group. This group was assigned to design, implement and instruct advanced crime scene investigation techniques for the Texas Rangers.

Sheriff Flores was a contributor to the Texas Ranger Field Evidence Handbook and authored the lesson plan for their Basic Bloodstain Pattern Analysis School. He is a life member of the Texas Division of the International Association for Identification, the Homicide Investigators of Texas Association. The Sheriff is highly regarded as an instructor and trainer and co-owns Texas Forensic Associates, a training and consulting consortium. His areas of instruction include crime scene investigation, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Shooting Reconstruction, family violence / domestic homicide, sexual assault investigations and officer-involved shooting investigations.

Some of his accomplishments during his first term:

Improved cooperation with Commissioners Court
Operated Sheriff’s Office and County Jail during COVID-19 Pandemic
Established Cadet Program to improve recruiting efforts
Added new personnel to improve service to the community
Created an Area Sheriff’s Intelligence/Information Sharing Program
Instituted a new Inmate Commissary System
Installed new inmate communication system utilizing video and text system
Installed new scheduling software for inmate visitation, transportation, and attorney scheduling
Increased Financial Transparency by working with County Auditor’s Office on budget management and oversit
Created a Sheriff’s Office Chaplain Program
Conducted a 10-year Budget Analysis
Conducted a 10-year Fleet Operations Analysis
Increased Training/Professional Development
Updated technology for cell phones, body worn cameras, in-car cameras, computer-aided dispatch and in-car reporting system
Issued pepper jell dispensers as a use of force option
Obtained electronic control device to increase courtroom safety and security
Obtained grants to help fund new radios, soft body armor, and automated access control
Updated and improved county jail and sheriff’s office – AC/Heat update, fire purge fans, parking lot construction, replaced aging plumbing, HVAC units and jail water heaters
Worked with Courthouse Security Committee to improve safety and replace aging video system
Established new take-home car policy to improve recruiting and retention
Established Anderson County Sheriff’s & Superintendent’s School Safety Committee