The Cameron County Commissioners Court, at its regular meeting held via Zoom Tuesday, tabled three agenda items relating to the transfer of responsibility for courthouse security from the office of Constable Pct. 2 to the sheriff’s department.
The agenda items entailed “consideration, discussion and action” on the transfer of all equipment, uniforms and material related to courthouse security, transfer of the budget and the transfer/reclassification of 15 deputies from the constable’s office to the sheriff’s department.
Commissioners were informed by someone with the sheriff’s department that Sheriff Eric Garza was unable to attend the meeting due to a prior commitment.
Commissioners Court was to also discuss these same items on April 27, but Garza was not available on that date due to conflicts with his schedule, commissioners were told.
The provision of courthouse security was the subject of a lawsuit filed last month against Garza by the commissioners court civil legal division alleging that the sheriff had exceeded his official capacity in part by unilaterally terminating a memorandum of understanding with constable’s office that placed the responsibility for courthouse security with that office.
Judge Gloria Rincones of the 445th state District Court on April 27 denied the commissioners court’s petition for a temporary injunction against Garza, dissolved a temporary restraining order filed by the plaintiff, scolded both sides for making the transfer unnecessarily complicated and ordered that they “sit down and figure it out.”
