Salazar, age 53, was first elected Bexar County Sheriff in 2016, after serving 23 years with the San Antonio Police Department. At SAPD, he worked his way up from patrolman to internal affairs investigator to communications director.
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
I am 53-year-old Bexar County native. I’m a 32-year law enforcement veteran. I spent 23+ years with the SAPD and have been Sheriff for almost 8 years. My wife, Sarah, is a second-grade public school teacher. We have two beautiful daughters, Brooke and Isabella who are amazing young ladies. Sarah and enjoy life with our 2 dogs, 3 cats, and 3 horses — all rescues.
What three issues do you consider most pressing for Bexar County when it comes to public safety and how do you plan to address them?
- Domestic violence continues to be an issue. The Special Victims Unit I established is tasked with investigating these cases. We also started the first Navigation Hotline for our deputies to have an assessment conducted and connect victims with appropriate services.
- Gun/Drug Crime – Our Organized Crime Division, established in 2020, is tasked with taking illegal guns off the street. Through community policing and public education, we also educate the community regarding the need to keep guns from falling into the wrong hands.
- Violent Crime – Our Street Crimes Unit, Gang Unit, and newly formed STOP (Sheriff’s Top Offenders Program) Teams specifically target the small percentage of criminals responsible for a large amount of the violent crime in our county.
How do you plan to address the ongoing staff shortages at the sheriff’s office and what changes would you implement to cut down on the use of overtime?
My administration has worked closely with Commissioners Court and the deputies’ union (DSABC) to increase pay and benefits for my deputies. We obtained a historic pay raise for our uniform personnel. As a direct result, we have made great strides toward eliminating manpower issues. The law enforcement branch of our agency is completely full, and we will also immediately fill the 41 positions given to us in the next budget. Our jail staff vacancies had been close to 300 are now below 90. We anticipate those being fully staffed by very early in 2025.
How would you address the challenges facing the jail, including overcrowding, the growing number of mentally ill inmates and the aging facility?
Our jail continues to house far too many inmates who should be elsewhere. Unfortunately, we have little to no control over who is sent to our jail. The state prison system, TDC, has anywhere between 250-300 inmates who should be in prison instead of our jail at any given time. We continue to work with state prison authorities to ensure timely transfers. We also house close to 700 inmates at any given time who should be in a mental health or rehab facility, not jail.
Although I can’t force the state to build any more mental health or rehab beds, I’m constantly advocating for more to be done. These systemic failures outside of the Bexar County jail requires us to house inmates in other jails to keep us from being overcrowded and within acceptable jail standards. I have said in the past and I will continue to say, jail is for people that society is afraid of, not for people we are just mad at, nor for the mentally ill or chronically homeless.
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