Community First. Public Safety Always.

Everything starts with the community.
Public safety exists to serve people, not systems. Trust is built when citizens feel protected, informed, and respected. That means showing up, communicating clearly, and never hiding behind silence or process.

My priority is simple. Families should feel safe in their homes. Officers and deputies should feel supported in their work. Transparency should be the standard, not the exception.

That requires open communication with the public and the media. It requires leaders willing to stand in front of hard questions instead of limiting them. It requires modern training that reflects how information actually moves today. And it requires humility. You can be transparent while still protecting investigations and victims. Those are not opposing ideas.

It also requires access.

I will establish a county public safety hotline and access point. A place where residents can call, email, or write when they do not know where to turn. This is not 911 and it is not an investigative function. It is guidance, navigation, and support.

If a loved one is arrested in another state or overseas. If someone is missing. If a family is overwhelmed by a crisis and does not know which agency to call. If immigration questions are causing fear or confusion. We will help point people in the right direction. We will spend the time. This will be a service to the county, paid for by your tax dollars, and available at no cost.

Public safety also means accountability. Leaders must represent this county properly. When they do not, action must follow. That applies to everyone.

With that foundation, this is my full position on public safety, law enforcement, and leadership in Hays County.

 

Public Safety, Law Enforcement, and Leadership in Hays County

I have been serving as a Texas peace officer since 2009. I have had no breaks in service and no disciplinary actions outside of minor verbal counseling. My career has been built on professionalism, restraint, accountability, and respect for the law and the people it serves.

That experience matters, but boundaries matter just as much.

I do not run law enforcement in this county. The Sheriff does. The Constables do. City Chiefs do. That structure matters, and I respect it.

My role as County Judge is leadership, coordination, oversight, and accountability. I stay in that lane.

It is my responsibility to ensure that elected officials and department leaders are representing Hays County properly. No one is above accountability. If an elected official or appointed leader fails in that responsibility, they will be met with every lawful and appropriate action necessary to protect the county and the public trust.

That responsibility includes workplace culture. Law enforcement is demanding, stressful, and often thankless work. It becomes unacceptable when leadership creates or allows a toxic environment. Deputies, officers, and staff must know they can raise sustained and legitimate concerns without fear of retaliation. The county will stand behind them. We will protect good people, keep them employed, safe, and proud of where they work.

 

Defunding the Police and the Real Issue

There is only one reason the defund the police movement ever gained traction. It came from a breakdown in communication.

Law enforcement handles privileged information. Active investigations. Victims. Due process. That matters. But transparency and communication are not the same thing as compromising a case. When communication stops, speculation takes over. Silence becomes the message.

Public information and media training must reflect how information moves today. In many cases, it should be informed by professionals who work directly in media and understand how narratives form.

We do a dance with the media that focuses on control. Who speaks. How long they speak. When they walk away. It does not have to be that way.

You can allow real questions and still control the message through honesty and clarity. Walking into a press conference, limiting questions, and leaving early damages trust. If the media makes leadership uncomfortable, training fixes that. You run toward discomfort, not away from it.

No pilot enjoys flying in weather. That is exactly why they train for it.

When communication improves, the defund narrative loses oxygen. It fades because people understand what is happening and why.

If your spouse or children are home one night and someone kicks in the door, you are calling law enforcement. Defunding delays help. Strengthening public safety saves lives.

 

My Role and My Plan

I cannot change internal department policies. That authority belongs to each agency. What I can do is remove barriers, align resources, and build a countywide response that works when it matters.

Staffing will not be optional. If an agency is short staffed, the county will step in through funding support, interagency cooperation, or accelerated hiring assistance. We will not accept gaps in coverage.

I will establish a standing coordination framework bringing together the Sheriff, Constables, municipal departments, emergency management, and state partners. Citizens expect one response, not jurisdictional confusion.

Cross training will be expanded. Training together builds trust and improves safety. When agencies train together, they respond better together.

Highway and traffic enforcement will receive sustained attention. As part of the Austin San Antonio corridor, our roadways are taking lives at an unacceptable rate. Traffic enforcement saves lives.

Officer safety will remain a priority. Equipment, training, and operational support that reduce injuries will be encouraged and funded. Protecting officers protects everyone.

Communication will be modernized. Transparency will be encouraged. Silence will not be the default.

 

Showing Up Beyond County Lines

Hays County does not stop at a border on a map.

Our residents live, work, travel, and serve all over Texas, across the United States, and beyond. When one of our own needs help, we do not shrug and say it is someone else’s problem.

Within the limits of the law and with responsible use of resources, Hays County will show up where the public needs us. That means coordinating, assisting, and advocating without compromising the safety or stability of our community at home.

This is not about overextending or chasing headlines. It is about standing by our residents wherever they are, while ensuring the resources we deploy are appropriate, justified, and do not negatively impact services here at home.

If you are a Hays County resident, you will not be forgotten because you crossed a county line, a state line, or a national border. We will fight for you. We will help you navigate the system. And we will do it responsibly.

That is what it means to serve a community, not just a jurisdiction.

 

Leadership in Disasters

In major disasters, the County Judge may hold a formal title. Titles do not save lives. People do.

My approach is simple. Lean on the professionals who make things happen. Empower them. Clear obstacles. Support from behind and hold accountability from above.

That is servant leadership.

 

My Status Under Texas Law

Under Texas law, if elected County Judge, I would forfeit my commission as a peace officer. I would not hold the powers of a Texas peace officer. I may retain my license, but I would fully step into the elected role and its duties.

I would not blur that line.

I remain sworn to protect the Constitution and the laws of this state. Protection also means protecting citizens from the misuse or misapplication of those laws. Authority must be exercised lawfully, ethically, and with respect for civil rights.

Leadership does not require a badge. It requires judgment.

 

The Kind of Leadership That Shapes Careers

Early in my career, I had a female training officer who later became my lieutenant. When she saw something I could improve, she brought me into the office, spun a black chair around, told me to sit, and turned on the TV. I knew I was about to learn something.

It was uncomfortable. It worked.

She raised me to be a better peace officer. One who leads with his heart, stays within the law, and understands the weight of authority. She was backed by a Chief who trusted her judgment and empowered her to lead.

One call changed me forever.

We responded to a report of an individual with a gun inside a therapy office. There was no close backup. Just her and me. We made our plan walking up the stairs. I would enter first and fan right. She would follow and take the left.

Right before we went in, she pushed me aside and took the lead.

She knowingly put herself in front. If something was going to happen, it was going to happen to her first.

When we got back to the car, I was angry. I asked her what that was about. She laughed and said she was not going to live her life knowing she sent me in and I was killed while she stood behind me. If someone was going, it was going to be her.

That is leadership. That is selflessness.

Today, she serves as a Chief of Police in Central Texas. I owe much of my career and how I think through decisions to her.

 

Final Word

This county already has strong public safety leadership. Dedicated professionals who show up, make hard decisions, and serve with integrity. What they deserve now is the full support and backing to be even better.

We do not weaken public safety. We strengthen it.
We do not hide from questions. We answer them.
We do not lead from ego. We lead through service.

When trust is strained, public safety does not retreat. It steps forward. It opens the lines of communication and extends an olive branch, not from weakness, but from a commitment to partnership with the community it serves.

Trust is not demanded. It is earned.
Safety is not assumed. It is built.

That is the standard I believe in.
That is the promise I intend to keep.