Sheriff Cutler announces run for third term

Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler announced that he will run for re-election in 2020.

The Jul. 8 campaign press release cited Cutlers accomplishments as Sheriff during his nine year term. The highlights included the construction of a highly trained command staff which includes “FBI National Academy graduates,” and the implementation of standard protocols for school safety in Hays County, which “received recognition both nationally and by Texas Governor Greg Abbott,” and kept “school administrators, teachers and students safe.”

The press release also said he implemented technology improvements such as “body cameras for every officer,” state-of-the-art equipment for processing crime scenes, and that the Hays County Jail had passed every yearly inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards during his tenure—“In 2018 the Hays County Jail received accolades as a model facility for other jails to follow.”

In training of Sheriff’s Office employees, the release said that under his tenure, “The Training Academy has provided, on average, over 12,000 hours of annual training for Sheriff’s Office employees and has a 100% passing rate for their Basic Peace Officer Academy.”

Under Cutler, in community outreach, HCSO has also began conducting a series of CRASE (Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events) training sessions around Hays County, some of which were taught at Dripping Springs High School. CRASE is based on “Advance Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training” (ALLERT) and teaches civilians how to respond to an active shooter event and increases their chance of survival. 

The press release finished with, “Sheriff Cutler continues to address the challenges presented by the unprecedented growth the county is experiencing. This extraordinary growth has not only placed higher demands for Sheriff’s Office resources, it has led to a record number of inmates who are incarcerated within the jail. The passage of the 2016 Public Safety Bond has allowed the county to address infrastructure needs, as well as an expansion to the Hays County jail to address overcrowding. Additionally, the bond funds are being used for a new contemporary communication center housed within the Public Safety Building.  

“These accomplishments have been made by working closely with the Commissioner’s Court and other agencies to maintain a fiscally conservative approach and staying within our approved budget each year.

“Sheriff Cutler is asking for your continued support and he looks forward to serving another term in the County, that he is proud to call home.”