Today, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office hosted a promotions ceremony for 25 of our teammates - one new major, two captains, three lieutenants, sixteen sergeants, one detention sergeant, and two registered nurses. These leaders have served our agency and communities well and displayed qualities that are in keeping with our five core values. I look forward to what they will bring to our agency as new leaders. I congratulate them on their hard-earned achievements and wish them all the best in their new chapters in life.
Every Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy swore an oath to protect our residents. Our agency reflects the community we serve. That’s why we stand with those seeking justice and equality. I know the last few days have been difficult but we need to stand together and keep serving our residents with honor. Thank you for upholding the oath all of you swore when you became protectors of our residents.
It’s a moment for us to pause, and reflect to see how we can do better and make sure our dialogue is constant and genuine. I’m proudly by your side as you help lead our county through these tense times.
This week we came together as a family to offer our hearty congratulations to Christian Polk, who graduated from YES Prep Eisenhower High School. He’s the son of our fallen brother Sgt. Dwayne Polk, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2013. Sgt. Polk was a wonderful man and well-loved by our community.
Christian said he was amazed by all the amazing support he received on behalf of HCSO. He’s going to study business management at Texas Southern University and said he’s looking forward to life on campus. We are proud of Christian and wanted him to know that his late father has a presence in our hearts. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors! Click
here
to watch the video of the drive-by parade celebration. Thanks to all of you who were able to attend and helped honor Christian.
As many people go back to their routines, we ask you to keep in mind that the virus is still in our community. Protect yourself, your family, and teammates by wearing a mask in public, practice social distance when possible, and wash your hands frequently. The Harris County Public Health encourages everyone to get tested for COVID-19. Click
here
to schedule your free test or call 832-927-7575.
As our nation demands change, we must do better. Our commitment to serving our residents should always be our priority day in and day out. Thank you for your hard work and commitment. God bless you, and God bless the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Sincerely,
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez
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"It's a moment for us to pause. Pause, to reflect to see how we can do better to not let this incident change or tarnish the hard work of many law enforcement professionals across the nation, the agencies that have been very progressive and forward-thinking and changing practices and protocols, we must make sure that our workforce reflects the communities we serve," said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
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“With so much going on in the world right now, there are still shining examples that the Houston community is strong and thriving. A young man who is graduating high school received some very special support from Harris County Sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement officers after he lost his father, who was a sergeant on the force. “Our pledge is to always remember our fallen and so we are here today to honor our commitment,” said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.”
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“Animal calls aren't uncommon for Harris County Sheriff's deputies, but this one involved one angry creature! Deputies had to take an 8-foot alligator "into custody" in west Harris County on Friday. It was found in Highland Knolls between Mason and Westgreen Streets. The alligator was not injured and was located to a new home.”
Captain T. Shelton
tweeted
a video from Highland Knolls drive, click
here
to watch it.
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Happy Trails: HCSO Retirees
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To all retirees, we thank you for your years of service to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Congratulations on all of your well-deserved retirements, and best of luck on the next chapter in your life. Click
here
for the list of retirees.
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Do you or your family need assistance?
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In keeping with our 5th core value, our Wellness Unit as well as our Chaplaincy are available to assist you. Should you or your family have a physical need for hard-find-supplies, financial assistance, emotional and or spiritual support, please reach out to us.
Lt. Shannon Bowdoin 936-776-6537
Don Savell 832-233-4387
Dr. Robert Seals
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Criminal Justice Command Employee COVID-19 Testing
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Beginning Friday, June 05, 2020 the Harris County Sheriff's Office in partnership with Cigna Health and UUMC will begin voluntary testing of employees assigned to the Criminal Justice Command for COVID-19. Testing is voluntary and free to the employee. However, employees will need to provide their Cigna insurance card at the time of testing.
Initial testing will begin with employees assigned to the 6th floor of the 1200 jail. Moving forward, based on employee participation, a calendar will be developed to facilitate testing in the most efficient manner possible.
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Criminal justice work, police work and detention officer work is associated with physical demands and stresses that lead to health issues throughout their careers. It is important to have a wellness program to promote healthy lifestyles.
The HCSO Wellness Unit is commanded by the department chaplain and provides a holistic approach to the wellbeing of our HCSO Family. We provide spiritual guidance and pastoral care though our department chaplain and volunteer chaplains throughout the HCSO in times of crisis resulting from Line of Duty deaths or any other tragedy you or your family experience. We assist survivors in the filing of benefits in the form of life insurance as well as state and federal benefits for LOD deaths through our Family Assistance Unit.
Our Military Liaison Unit provides assistance to military personnel and their families in times of deployment (to and from) as well as providing guidance to the military members chain of command in the filing of the proper paperwork for deployments. MLO also coordinates our annual float in the Veteran's Day Parade and assists with other military events throughout the year such as Sweat IV Vets.
Our CISM/Peer Support Team responds to Critical incidents not only for the HCSO, but also as a regional asset for surrounding agencies and communities. Our CISM/Peer Support team has responded to the murders of several HCSO deputies to provide peer support and debriefings after the services of our fallen have taken place. Our team also responded to the school shooting with peers and chaplains at Santa Fe High School.
The Wellness Unit also houses the CIGNA Health Coach who provides dietary and lifestyle changes services. The health coach also provides cooking classes, webinars and many other vital services to assist our HCSO family in living healthier lives.
We are located at 49 San Jacinto on the first floor, first office on the left.
If you need us, please call on us. We are here to serve you!
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Donations being received for D.O. Jamie Bauer after a house fire
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On Thursday, May 21st, D.O. Jamie Bauer's apartment was destroyed by fire.
We are assisting in relocating Jamie and her family.
Thank you for your continued support of the Harris County Sheriff's Office Benevolence Association.
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Honoring the 2020 graduates
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With graduation events canceled around the county due to the pandemic, we want to recognize the 2020 graduates. Help us celebrate and honor their achievements! If you and/or your children are about to graduate let us know to give you guys a shoutout. Please send photos and a brief description to
giselle.bueno@sheriff.hctx.net
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Harris County Wellness: Online Fitness Classes
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Harris County Wellness Unit is now offering online Wellness and Fitness training due to precautions of the COVID-19. Employees that participate in these classes will be able to receive 10-points per class towards their 2021-22 Healthy Actions Medical Plan. Employees must complete the online training and complete the corresponding SurveyMonkey to receive credit for these classes. Only selected classes posted on the wellathctx.com website for online fitness training and wellness training will receive credit for HAMP (Healthy Actions Medical Plan). These lists will be updated regularly to provide a variety of topics.
Click
here
For the list of classes and information on the Wellness Training.
Click
here
for the list of classes and information on the Fitness Training.
For questions please click
here
.
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Online Training Available for HCSO Employees
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Harris County Human Resources & Risk Management is working with a new vendor, KnowledgeCity, to meet the current need for online training.
Online training classes will be available to Harris County employees starting, Wednesday, April 1
st
.
Please see the attached course catalog for KnowledgeCity, along with a list detailing the duration of each class.
To get started, please contact your supervisor to request permission. Employees
MUST
be approved by their supervisor to register for the online training courses. Once approval is received, employees can submit an email request to register for online training to
Syrenthia.Bonds@sheriff.hctx.net
(Please CC: supervisor). Thereafter, a link will be sent to for the requesting employee to register for the available training courses online.
***Important***
Employees who are on the following may NOT take the online training courses:
*FMLA
*Using Sick time or Compensation (Comp) time
*Regular Days Off (RDO)
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Mandatory BPOC Diagnostic Physical Fitness Test
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With the new changes to the entrance into the BPOC, the academy staff will be conducting Physical Agility Testing at the front entrance into The Harris County Sheriff's Academy, 2316 Atascocita Road, Humble Texas 77396. We are limiting the testing to a maximum of 10 candidates during a single session. In order for your application to be processed by Human Resources you must successfully pass the Physical Agility Test.
The PAT consist of the following:
- Radio manipulation (articulating your first/last name and your date of birth via a radio mic while turning a steering wheel)
- Weapon manipulation (Pistol & Shotgun) (pressing the trigger 5 times in 10 seconds)
- Push-ups (20 in one (1) minute)
- Sit-ups (45 in two (2) minutes)
- 1.5 mile run (15 minutes and 30 seconds or less)
If, you fail any portion of the test, you will
not
continue forward for that session. The academy staff will allow you some time to go home and practice. An additional test will be set up on a later date.
You are allowed a maximum of three (3) attempts to pass the physical agility test. You must contact Sergeant Williams through email at charlotte.williams@sheriff.hctx.net or Deputy Sled at daniel.sled@
sheriff.hctx.net
to schedule a Physical Agility Test. Only the candidates who are scheduled will be allowed to participate in the test. Once you are scheduled for a PAT, it is imperative to attend on your assigned test date and time since the test is limited to 10 candidates.
If you need to cancel or reschedule, please contact Sergeant Williams (713) 274-4923 or Deputy Sled (713) 274-4913. Upon arrival for the PAT, your identification will be checked at the front entrance of the academy building. The testing will start promptly start at 9:30 am or 1pm hours. Please wait at the front entrance and be prepared to be screened prior to testing.
You should be dressed in appropriate fitness attire; no sheer garments, ensure your fitness garment covers your torso and extends to the thighs.
Please bring your face covering, gloves and water for hydration
.
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, you will not be allowed into the academy building for any reason.
GOOD LUCK
!!
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Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Seminars
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As an employee or retiree you have access to a valuable Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by Cigna at no additional cost. EAP personal advocates will work with you and your household family members to help you resolve issues you may be facing, connect you with the right mental health professionals, direct you to a variety of helpful resources in your community and more. The EAP offers access to face-to-face counselors in your area, as well as Cigna EAP phone consultants to help process life stresses and improve well-being.
The EAP benefit is… A household benefit. Confidential. Prepaid by employer (No cost to you). Available 24/7/365.
- Stress management
- Family or parenting issues
- Substance abuse/misuse
- Work/life balance
- Burnout
- Marital/relationship problems
- Child and elder care
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Anger management
- Legal concerns
- Financial issues
- Coping with change
- Self-esteem
The focus of this program includes:
- Work/life balance
- Improved lifestyle
- Better physical and mental health
- Total well-being
To explore your EAP benefits, please see the contact information below:
ALL INFORMATION IS CONFIDENTIAL BETWEEN CIGNA (EAP) AND EMPLOYEE
For additional information, please contact
:
Ronisha Mathis, HCSO Human Resources
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Miss Last Week's Newsletter?
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HCSO Newsletter #67 - Protecting with PRIDE
"He did what he could to keep people out of trouble and keep them from showing up in his courtroom again," said his daughter, Dlisa Nuñez. "Even though he was just the bailiff, he would tell them, 'Hey man, you don't want to come back here.
Read more
myemail.constantcontact.com
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