SAN ANTONIO — A new jail chief has been appointed at the Bexar County Jail, Bexar County Officials confirmed.
Former Maverick County jail administrator Jaime Rios officially started Wednesday. Rios will offer support to deputy chiefs Avery Walker and Joel Janssen.
Rios' hiring comes nearly a month after County Judge Nelson Wolff called on Sheriff Javier Salazar to hire a “professional jail administrator,” following a spate of erroneous releases under Walker’s watch.
"These are mistakes that should not be made," Wolff said after two back-to-back erroneous releases September.
After Wolff’s remarks, Salazar called a press conference of his own, stating that he had a professional jail administrator in Walker, but that he was open to reopening the position and making an addition to his jail staff.
During that press conference, Salazar also said that in a nationwide search, Walker, who earned his jail administrator certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement in August, was most qualified. Salazar hinted at his intentions of adding to his jail administration staff, noting that Walker was going to stay in his post.
Walker took over in late January when interim jail administrator Ruben Vela was suspended after clerical errors at the jail. Vela was reinstated, but Walker kept his role. Shortly after Vela was cleared to return to work, he was fired Feb. 27 after refusing to resign.
Vela’s termination came a day after the Sheriff’s Office announced it failed its inspection.
Rios is the sixth person to hold the title of jail administrator. Vela, Laura Balditt and Bobby Hogeland held the post prior to Rios and Walker. Balditt retired in April 2018, and Hogeland resigned in September 2018.
Salazar told KENS 5 late last month that the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement had conducted its preliminary inspection of the jail and that an unannounced inspection is imminent.