Shortly after a Bexar County jail break, a new crop of cadets got a stern warning from Sheriff Javier Salazar, who told the recruits they better be prepared to bring their “A Game” to work every day.
There are changes coming both inside and outside the county lockup.
Last week, Salazar ordered the installation of barricades on North Comal Street to restrict vehicle access to the front of the jail.
Salazar said it is the most visible change since three murder suspects cut their way out of a recreation yard and had a forty minute taste of freedom before they were recaptured.
Another tactic, Salazar said, is an increased emphasis on the fact that things can and will go wrong, and everyone has to be ready all the time.
Salazar told the 31 men and women assembled for their first day of training “You've got to be 100%, 100% of the time. You turn your back on some of those folks, they can hurt you. They can hurt themselves. They can hurt each other. They can try to escape.”
Salazar said the cadets understand the risk.
"We're putting them into a job where your head's got to be on a swivel. You absolutely have to be present, physically and mentally, every day or bad things can happen,” Salazar said.
The Sheriff said he is proud of the diversity in this class, from the number of women to the age range of 50 plus. He said one cadet is 55 and another who graduated recently entered the academy at age 59.
"It just goes to show, we don't have an age cutoff, but if you can bring that ‘A Game,’ it doesn't matter what your age is, as long as you can bring the ‘A Game,’ we want to have you,” Salazar said.
The sheriff said everyone at the training academy and his entire command staff want to see these cadets succeed. He exhorted the cadets to do their best at all times.
“If you pay attention every single day, we're going to teach you the skills that you need to keep yourself safe, sound and alive,” Salazar promised.
In addition to these 31 cadets who started their training Monday, there is another academy class of 25 that is just eleven days away from graduation.
Salazar said they are ready to bring fresh eyes and energy to a challenging job.