SAN ANTONIO — The Deputy Sheriff's Association of Bexar County released study results they say were conducted by a mental health expert, reporting the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has had "severe ramifications on deputies' physical and mental health, as well as costly financial and public safety repercussions for Bexar County taxpayers."
The report sent to KENS 5 includes quotes from current deputies reporting "exhaustion." Some deputies have also claimed gender and racial bias within the agency, according to the report.
The association held a press conference Wednesday morning to address the study.
The report documents a deputy who they say reported having to file for divorce because the needed overtime is "causing problems" in their marriage. The report also highlights a deputy who is pregnant, reporting she had her maternity leave days taken away because she didn't work overtime.
Also at the news conference was Charley Wilkison from the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT).
"There is a jaundiced, prejudiced, blind eye toward the conditions in the jail," Wilkison said.
"This is the worst-run jail in the state of Texas," said Ron DeLord, negotiator for CLEAT.
You can view the full press conference here.
Sheriff Javier Salazar responded to the report at 2 p.m. news conference Wednesday afternoon, saying that he didn't want to lean so heavily on overtime, but he doesn't have enough deputies on staff to comply with the law otherwise.
Salazar said that BCSO is hiring and trying to fill roles, but acknowledged that it has been challenging. He said that working in a jail can only be so enjoyable, but if overtime is necessary, deputies will be well compensated.
When asked about the jail being described as a sweatshop, he said that he didn't know many sweatshops where people made $168,000 in a year.
He acknowledged the strain on deputies and their family lives, but said that it comes with the job.
The Association's full report is as follows:
A new study conducted by a mental health expert concludes that systematic under-staffing at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has had severe ramifications on deputies’ physical and mental health as well as costly financial and public safety repercussions for Bexar County taxpayers.
The report, which includes survey results and direct quotes from active duty Bexar Co. Sheriff’s deputies, details extremely low morale in the agency, with “dissatisfaction” rates near 60%, high levels of “burnout and exhaustion,” reports of major health concerns due to overwork, and gender and racial bias within the agency.
While the financial impact of this crisis is unacceptable — eleven years of systemic lack of staffing has cost the county millions in overtime, last year alone — the human impact has been devastating resulting in broken lives, broken families, mental health issues, workplace injuries, burnout and exhaustion, disciplinary issues, retention and recruitment issues. All of this has affected Bexar Co. Sheriff’s deputies’ ability to do the job they were sworn to do.
Over the past nine months, the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County (DSABC) has pleaded with Sheriff Salazar and Bexar County Commissioners to find solutions to fix this problem, but these pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Due to county leaders ignoring or discounting the issue’s seriousness, DSABC commissioned this independent study to focus on key job satisfaction issues within Bexar Co. Sheriff’s Office.
As the study reports, systematic under-staffing has had major consequences on the health and well-being of deputies, who are working, on average, 80 to 96 overtime hours in a four-week period. The study reports that 73% of deputies polled feel their health and well-being were not considered. The Japanese have a word for this: Karoshi or “Overworked Death.” In Japan, limitations are being legislated as to how many hours a person can work due to increased cases of mental health issues, workplace injury, declining health, and high suicide rates. Many of these same consequences are being seen here in our own backyard at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. The only difference between us and Japan is that they are willing to admit they have a problem and are willing to remedy it, unlike our local government.
Several themes emerged from the study, thus revealing various challenges, which affected job satisfaction for deputies. Emerging themes include FNR/MOT/FMOT issues, policy issues impacting women, not Being Valued by Supervisors, Unfair Discipline Policies, Overtime Affecting their Personal Lives, equipment issues, and administrative-level policy challenges.
During the study, one female BCSO deputy provided the following feedback:
“I am pregnant and they have never taken any of this into consideration when assigning me to units. I’ve worked high risk female units, high risk male units, units with COVID positive inmates and mental in-mates. They take maternity leave days from my [Family Medical Leave Act] fmla when I don’t work my overtime. It’s a very harsh environment to work in and I would never recommend anyone to apply. Especially a female.”
The report also points out that deputies are the only category of Bexar County employee expected to work overtime. public works, district attorneys, clerks, constables, district clerks, elections, fire marshals, emergency management, budget office, tax assessor, and even commissioners are not expected to work overtime hours that are forced on deputies. Although the sheriff (after a publicity campaign organized by the DSABC that highlighted the staffing issues in the Bexar County Jail) has improved recruitment slightly, poor retention rates and their associated causes has not been addressed.
“How can we ever get caught up if we lose so many deputies due to the poor working conditions itemized in this report,” said Jeremy Payne, President of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County. “County leaders refuse to address these inadequacies and even we, as a union, understand our limitations and hired professionals to do a workplace study to help us find answers because we see the problem and refuse to sweep it under the rug or place blame on someone else.”
Bexar County Sheriff’s deputies are required to protect the public and uphold the law while remaining calm and professional despite multi-layered threats. Meanwhile, staff shortages remain significantly high, forcing Deputies to work overtime and relinquish time with loved ones. When increased stressors are prevalent, they inherently compound the well-being and safety of deputies who must carry out their work.
During the study, a BCSO deputy revealed the following:
“The morale I have at work is at rock bottom, I am a 5-year veteran that is slowly considering to resign due to my job having a negative impact at my place of home. All the Overtime that I am forced to do is causing problems in my marriage, so much so that I am filing for divorce. I have to decide whether to resign or divorce my wife that I have been with for 8 years and who I have 2 children with. I like my job, but the supervisors make it hard for me. I get stressed by the Inmates which is a given, but my supervisors too and when I get home I am getting stress in my personal life. Due to work overtime.”
The current study was a starting point in the necessary effort to examine the role of overall job satisfaction variables on the well-being and morale of deputies. The results were grim and revealed devastating information about the lives, well-being, and safety of BCSO deputies, as well as systemic problems within the agency.