Sheriff’s Office Requests More Support During Budget Workshop
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY — Sheriff Zak Benge told the Houston County Commissioners Court Tuesday that the Sheriff’s Office needs additional personnel, more competitive salaries and updated equipment to meet the demands of providing law enforcement services around the clock across the county.
The extended presentation was made during the court’s budget workshop, with Benge presenting the law enforcement requests and Jail Administrator Donavan Mahan addressing the jail’s staffing, compliance and administrative needs.
The commissioners did not approve all of the requests during the workshop. However, they voted to place the request for in-car computers and a revised policy addressing compensatory time and overtime on the agenda for the next Commissioners Court meeting.
Benge said the purpose of the requests was to improve public safety, retain experienced employees, recruit qualified personnel and update equipment that is no longer adequate for the department’s current workload.
“We want to improve public safety, add more staff where they’re needed, retain those experienced employees that have been here a while, provide better, more competitive salaries, buy equipment that helps people do their jobs so we’re not still operating like we were back in the ’80s, and insulate the county from liability,” Benge told commissioners.
The Sheriff’s Office operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is responsible for law enforcement coverage across approximately 1,237 square miles.
Benge said the department currently has 12 patrol personnel, with only two or sometimes three people covering the county at a time. Patrol vehicles are averaging nearly 300 miles per day, he said.
The presentation showed that calls for service increased from approximately 5,000 in 2024 to more than 8,000 in 2025. The office expects to exceed 8,000 calls again in 2026.
Benge said the department’s goal is to provide better coverage in each precinct, reduce response times, improve officer safety and provide more flexibility when deputies are needed for county events, emergencies or employee leave.
The Sheriff’s Office requested two additional patrol deputies, one Criminal Investigations Division investigator, one patrol lieutenant, one courthouse security deputy and one jail lieutenant.
Benge said adding two patrol deputies would allow the department to establish additional swing-shift coverage and reduce the need to pull personnel from one shift to cover another.
The office also requested another CID investigator. Benge said the department currently has three investigators, but one also carries lieutenant-level administrative responsibilities.
Investigators handled approximately 615 cases in 2025, according to the presentation. The number had already reached approximately 700 by the time of the workshop, with the annual total expected to reach about 715.
Benge said an additional investigator would improve crime-scene coverage, evidence processing, case management and weekend and holiday availability.
The requested patrol lieutenant would help manage patrol scheduling, fleet services, minimum staffing and training responsibilities. The position would also allow the captain currently overseeing several divisions to focus on other administrative duties, including required training.
Benge said the department also needs another courthouse security deputy because the Sheriff’s Office is responsible for security at the courthouse, annex and other county facilities. The presentation identified approximately 67,000 square feet of courthouse and annex office space that must be covered by only three personnel.
“We can’t be everywhere at once,” Benge told commissioners.
Mahan presented the request for a jail lieutenant who would focus on compliance, training, audits, administrative duties and inmate classification.
The position would require a proficiency certificate, supervisory experience and successful completion of the jail administrator examination. Mahan said the position would be created by converting an existing licensed general position rather than simply adding another jailer.
He said the jail lieutenant would review reports, conduct audits, help staff improve documentation, oversee required training and ensure that classification and other compliance duties are completed on time.
“We have staffing mandates, so we have certain man levels that we have to be at,” Mahan said. “We don’t have options.”
The jail is also facing additional state and federal reporting and compliance responsibilities, including duties associated with the county’s participation in the federal 287(g) program.
Benge told commissioners that Houston County deputies are paid approximately 20% to 22% below the average salaries in neighboring counties.
He said the county invests heavily in training employees, only to lose experienced personnel to nearby agencies offering significantly higher pay.
The presentation included a salary comparison showing Houston County jail salaries at approximately $42,000, compared with an average of approximately $45,240 among neighboring counties listed in the presentation.
The Sheriff’s Office also proposed salary adjustments for dispatch and administrative positions. The presentation showed proposed salaries ranging from $48,000 to $50,000 for dispatchers, $55,000 for a dispatcher supervisor, $60,000 for senior administrative staff, $50,000 for administrative staff and $65,000 for an evidence and training coordinator.
The office also requested a $650 annual bilingual-pay incentive for employees who regularly assist Spanish-speaking residents.
Benge said the incentive would help the department recruit and retain employees who can communicate directly with the county’s Spanish-speaking population rather than relying on informal or outside interpreters.
A significant portion of the discussion involved the department’s current use of compensatory time.
Under the current system, employees earn compensatory time instead of immediate overtime pay for additional hours worked. Benge and Mahan said large comp-time balances can create staffing problems when employees later take the time off, requiring other personnel to cover their shifts.
The Sheriff’s Office recommended budgeting for overtime instead of relying primarily on comp time. The proposed approach would provide employees with immediate compensation while reducing the accumulation of large leave balances and helping supervisors maintain staffing levels.
Commissioners voted to bring an updated comp-time and overtime policy back for consideration at the next court meeting.
The court also agreed to revisit the request for in-car computers. Benge said the systems would allow deputies to access information, complete portions of reports and communicate more effectively from the field.
The presentation identified faster access to information, improved officer safety, better reporting capabilities and stronger communication as benefits of the technology. The first-year cost was discussed as approximately $36,000.
Benge said the computers would allow deputies to complete basic portions of reports while still in the field, reducing the amount of paperwork that accumulates once officers return to the office.
The Sheriff’s Office also discussed the need for an updated side-by-side vehicle for special events, search and rescue operations and situations where county trucks are not practical. Benge said the office currently relies on older equipment, personal vehicles or assistance from other agencies for some of those responsibilities.
The requests will continue to be considered as commissioners work toward adopting the county’s next budget.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
