Sheriff Warns of Warrant Scams, Releases September Activity Report
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY — A caller claiming to be a sheriff’s official may sound convincing, especially when the conversation turns to warrants and demands for money. Sheriff Zak Benge is urging residents to end those calls before reaching for their wallets.
The Houston County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has received reports of callers identifying themselves as Captain Catoe or Chief Martin and demanding payment over supposed warrants.
“Our office will not call anyone concerning warrants and demand money, gift cards or bitcoin,” Benge said. “These are scams and the only thing the scammer wants is your hard-earned money. Promptly hang up on them.”
The warning accompanies the release of September activity figures, which provide a look at work ranging from patrol calls and school checks to jail operations and employee training.
For residents receiving one of the fraudulent calls, Benge’s message is direct: Using the name of a local official does not make a demand for money legitimate.
Residents can contact HCSO directly at its nonemergency number, 936-544-2862, rather than continue a conversation with someone demanding payment.
The scam warning is one part of a broader workload reflected in the September report. During the month, the patrol division recorded 657 calls and 65 reports, with deputies making 33 arrests.
Patrol deputies logged 18,230 miles across the county. Their work included 46 animal and estray calls, along with 53 building checks and 26 school checks.
Traffic enforcement accounted for 168 stops, with 35 citations and 133 warnings issued. Deputies also recorded three agency assists and served 17 civil process papers.
Those figures describe work well beyond arrests alone, including checking properties and schools, handling animal calls and assisting other agencies.
The dispatch center reported 1,937 calls handled and separately listed 939 calls to 911. Those figures represent the communications side of the operation, distinct from the calls recorded by the patrol division.
Transportation duties also accounted for thousands of miles during September. The transport division completed 36 transports and logged 4,275 miles. Separately, the patrol report listed three deputy transports totaling 250 miles.
Courthouse security personnel recorded 56 annex patrols and three arrests. That section of the monthly report also listed nine court-issued warrants.
At the jail, September brought 90 bookings and 97 releases, with an average daily population of 125. Nine inmates were sent to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice during the month.
The administrative report listed nine sex offender check-ins or registrations and 46 bonds.
Employees also accumulated 404 combined training hours. Jailers accounted for 274 hours, dispatchers completed 68 hours and deputies recorded 62 hours.
Benge said the monthly totals offer only a partial view of the responsibilities carried by employees throughout HCSO.
“While these numbers are impressive, it is still just a small snippet into what the employees of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office do and are involved in on a daily basis,” he said.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
