Buchanan, age 41, owns a cleaning company and worked for the Castle Hills Police Department as a patrol officer and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office as a patrol deputy. He ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for Bexar County Judge in 2022, and has also run unsuccessfully for his party’s nomination for constable.
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
I am 41 years old and am a lifelong resident of Bexar County, where I currently reside. I have been serving the citizens of Texas as a peace officer since 2008 and have been a small business owner since 2007. My wife and I are proud parents of four children ranging from the age of 4 months all the way up to 18 years old.
I attended Northwest Vista College and The University of Texas San Antonio and earned more than 100 college hours.
My background is primarily in small business management. I will manage the Sheriff’s Office, as exactly what is it — a business. As a dedicated professional, I am committed to improving the safety and wellbeing of the residents of Bexar County. I am ready to bring fresh energy and a practical (no nonsense) approach to the office of Sheriff.
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?
1. High crime rate: According to Crimegrade.org, Bexar County rates a D for property crimes and a C for violent crimes. The C grade means the rate of violent crime is slightly higher than the average US County. Bexar County is in the 43rd percentile for safety, meaning 57% of counties are safer and 43% of counties are more dangerous than Bexar.
The violent crime rate in Bexar County is 4.286 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. People living in Bexar County generally consider the northeast part of the county to be the safest for this type of crime. Chances of being a victim of violent crime in Bexar County may be as high as 1 in 111 depending on where a person resides. This will be addressed by assessing the need for currently existing elite units. The patrol division must be adequately staffed to provide maximum protection and the prevention of criminal opportunities.
2. Lack of adequate resources including proper staffing levels: The primary role of the Sheriff is public safety. Assessing current personnel distribution is critical to ensuring that the public feels safe and secure in their homes, businesses, and traveling throughout the county. Existing specialized units will be evaluated for efficiency and if found their need is less critical to overall safety, measures will be taken to mitigate that. The efficacy of my administration will remedy issues with staffing.
Exceptionally high turnover and morale issues, particularly among jail personnel: The high turnover rate in detention is caused by mismanagement from top to bottom. The jail is a law enforcement function of the Sheriff’s Office and needs to be respected by administrators — beginning with the Sheriff. Policies toward jail and law enforcement personnel will reflect a greater openness for participatory management. I will “invert the pyramid” so suggestions for improvements by the rank and file who see and live with the existing issues will remedy what is wrong.
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?
Staff shortages are primarily caused by the low morale of officers in the jail and law enforcement services. My intention is to create a positive environment for sworn and non-sworn personnel so they will enjoy coming to work. This can be done by holding senior officers responsible for turnover and low morale of the officers and staff. I want to create a system where arbitrary discipline is applied unnecessarily and determine and address the root causes of staff shortages. Usually jail supervisors lack training opportunities to lead and manage their charges and I will see that all supervisors, beginning with the rank of corporal receive that training.
I want to assess the applicant processing procedure to ensure the best qualified applicants are selected for the sheriff’s office. I will eliminate the direct hiring of applicants for law enforcement from outside the Sheriff’s office. This denies jail personnel opportunities to transition to law enforcement if they choose.
Overtime payouts are problematic. My plan is to approach Commissioners’ Court to request personnel to adequately staff the jail. This cuts down on overtime and abuse of sick leave, which is directly related to existing staffing allowances, and saves money in the long run.
How would you address the challenges facing the jail, including overcrowding, the growing number of mentally ill inmates and the aging facility?
The sheriff bears responsibility for the safety and security of the entire community and that includes those inmates and pre-trial detainees who are detained in the Adult Detention Center. Overcrowding is indeed an issue that has concerned Sheriffs since 1973, when the county was placed under a consent decree (DeVonish v. Garza) resulting in the construction of the Comal Street facility. We certainly want to avoid a reoccurrence of that.
I will work closely with the District Attorney and Commissioners’ Court to seek alternative measures to incarceration such as diversion programs and countering recidivism through re-entry into the community as productive citizens. I want to look closely at Restorative Justice Alternatives for first offenders charged with non-violent crimes.
The mentally ill simply do not belong in jails. However, I understand the county is tasked with caring for those mentally ill inmates accused of criminal offenses and until such time as the mental health authorities can develop an alternative to jailing them, we will ensure their safety, security, and appropriate treatment at the highest levels.
I will work closely with county mental health agencies and the Center for Health Care Services to ensure quality care. It may be time to start the discussion for building a modern detention facility, properly designed, and meeting the growing needs of the criminal justice system in Bexar County. The county pays other detention facilities a small fortune to hold Bexar County inmates, and this must stop. Bexar County is responsible for inmate care and confinement.
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