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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Letter: Why would the sheriff spend $100,000 to bulletproof his office?


"I have been told it will be the only bulletproof sheriffs office in Texas . . ."

Sheriff Gary Cutler
Editor's note: Well, we're knee deep into primary election campaign politics so it's no surprise that unpleasant stuff about the candidates is going to start hitting the fan. Here's a letter to the editor from Frank Morgan of Buda who verified to the RoundUp he is the author and his information is well sourced. We clearly remember back in the 2010 election for sheriff, then Sheriff Tommy Ratliff received a few well-timed low blows himself. That's not to say Mr. Morgan's letter constitutes a low blow, it certainly raises some legitimate questions. Current Sheriff Gary Cutler beat Ratliff in 2010. Ratliff is back and challenging Cutler in the May 29 Republican primary election. The winner will become the next Sheriff of Hays County since there is no Democrat in the race. The alleged incidents involving the San Marcos businessman and the Ratliff for Sheriff sign are worrisome, not the kind of behavior we expect from our top law enforcement officers. And the alleged $100,000 bulletproofed sheriff's office? It makes you wonder what security issue the sheriff has to justify such a large expenditure. We welcome a response from Sheriff Cutler or his spokesman. 

Send your comments and questions to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Sheriff Cutler at gary.cutler@co.hays.tx.us or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the letter.

To the Editor: 

What is going on at the Hays County Sheriff's Office?

I have been told by a San Marcos businessman that Sheriff Cutler and Captain Davenport of his office asked the businessman's employees to remove a Tommy Ratliff for Sheriff sign from his property. Captain Davenport also approached a relative of the businessman at a ball game and told him his relative needed to remove the sign and replace it with a Cutler sign. What is this about, are they trying to intimidate people or are they feeling worried about their re-election? Either way this is unprecedented. I have been involved in political campaigns for nearly forty years and I have never heard of anything like this.

More disturbing is the fact that recently Sheriff Cutler had all the sheet rock around his office replaced with Kevlar sheetrock to bulletproof his office. When the bulletproof glass is installed the taxpayers of Hays County will have spent over $100,000 to bulletproof his office. I have been told it will be the only bulletproof sheriffs office in Texas. What is he afraid of? He took an oath of office to protect the people of Hays County, not for the taxpayers of Hays County to protect him. No other Hays County Sheriff has wasted the taxpayer's money in such a ridiculous fashion. I hope everyone remembers this on Election Day.

Frank Morgan
Buda, Texas

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe Cutler has a Kevlar brain -- nothing goes in and nothing comes out.

Anonymous said...

I guess my first question would be: Who is the Kevlar distributor in Hays County and how well does Cutler know him?

Anonymous said...

A bulletproof vest is cheaper! I have many friends and family who are in Law enforcement and the military who are fine with a Kevlar vest and side arm. What is he so afraid of? My child went through Iraq with only a Kevlar vest and he needs Kevlar sheetrock! Give me a break.

Les said...

why does a constable in Hays county need an automatic weapon?

Anonymous said...

Someone on commissioners court had to approve this spending. Cutlers buddy Will ?

Joe Tex said...

I guess that Sheriff Cutler wants to be like the federal guys at Homeland Security which recently purchased a large number of portable level-III bullet proof checkpoint booths. Instead of a booth, he has a whole office.

Anonymous said...

With all respect to Mr. Morgan, he is wrong.

The "bullet proof" office is actually bullet proof front windows to the jail complex.

This provides all employees at the jail protection, not just Sheriff Cutler.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, Bullet proof glass is on order. So anonymous was wrong. What happened to the trophy case and reception area that was there since the building was built. Try to shoot through that, bet it's about 2 inches thick and covered with sheetrock.

More Truth said...

Well I don't know who is saying it provides the whole jail with protection but that's wrong the front windows to Bonding haven't been done yet. The glass is on order. The sheriff decided to bullet proof his wall and in order to do that there was a trophy case with Hays county Sheriffs office trophy's that were taken away and thrown in the trash! Also a receptionist area which was on the same wall was taken away and now that puts more work load on the Bonding officers! Mr cutler is self centered he cares nothing about the employees all he is worried about is his ego! That's the truh anyone who says different knows better.

sandy said...

Does anyone remember the El Camino? Is it a car or a Truck?

That's what Tommy Ratliff reminds me of. Is he a Republican, or is he a Democrat? Sheriff Camino.

Former Sheriff Ratliff was appointed by a 4-1 vote of the democrat led Commissioners Court.

Karen Ford seconded the nomination of Ratliff. We all know what a great conservative republican she is.

What's next, will the WINDEMS adopt Dumbo for their mascot?

Has the Democratic party ceased to exist in Hays County?

Emancipator said...

Sandy said:

"What's next, will the WINDEMS adopt Dumbo for their mascot?"

Actually the Republican Party has already elected both the LA Disneyland Dumbo and the Florida DisneyWorld Dumbo in the names of

1) Jason Isaac
2) Bert Cobb

WimDems would most likely be looking for Superman, but he isn't available to either party.

He would most likely be an Independent.

And there is also another Branson RedneckWorld Dumbo - named Sandy.

Anonymous said...

Hey More Truth,

Were you actually at the jail when you wrote this, or did you wait until you got home. It must have been vexing taking time away from Angry Birds and US magazine to trash your boss.

bubba said...

I is workng at jail now. Things much better under sherefff Ratclif. Cutlass take away foosball table and inmate twister.

Jasper, come in here right now! said...

Sheriffs should not be Democrats or Republicans, they should be independent law enforcement officers who work for all of us.

I don't give a flip what primary these guys run in, and neither should anyone else.

This whole party system just messes up some of these races.

Like the one for Sheriff.

Connor said...

The accusations regarding the political signs is third party and the crap about the bulletproofing should be pretty easy to prove so put your money where your mouth is.

Instead what we have is blind faith in a man who has demonstrated that he is not qualified to head up anything other then a spousal abuse forum.

"Real Conservative" Thought he was a democrat last time? When did he have his epiphany? This means he is a Cameleon my friends and will be whatever he needs to be just to get your vote.

After the revelation of the DPS documents those who support him should be taking a hard look at there decision. This guy not only did it, he's lied to you about it.

Hays County is better then that.

Anonymous said...

Based on many of the comments here, Hays County is not "better than that."

Bubba, I love your humor.

Anonymous said...

There has been more spending under Sheriff Cutler.

1. The fence around the " Culter Complex"

2. With the high price of gas, county cars are being taken home to pflugerville, austin, harwood, lockhart, new braunfels, canyon lake

3. Remodel of the inside of the administrative offices in the jail

4. Paying for one week pay for the cadets in training to be off since the instructor was taking spring break off.

5. All upper brass, sheriff, chief and directors to go to new braufels two days and one night to work on a county budget.

Who approves the spending of this money? The commissioners court? The Sheriff?

Shouldnt you be asking the County Sheriff where this money is coming from that is allowing such foolish spending?

Shouldnt you be asking the Commissioners court why they are allowing this?

You should not only be looking at the both candidates personal life but also how they have spent and spending our HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS.

Cutler has not addressed his sons drug arrests at all. Ratliff is addressing his issues with his ex wife.

When you run for office, all of your personal life is open to the public.

Cutler can't sling mud about Ratliff because he has mud in his own home.

Two bad there isnt another candidate to choose from.

Anonymous said...

Rotro...Looks like little boots has a little bit of explaining to do. Since he expects loyalty..Looks like your the one setting at that intersection, wonder which way you will turn?

Connor said...

@Jasper.

Although I agree the political side of the Office is awkward at best you are right that Left or Right shouldn't matter when it comes to being Sheriff.

What does matter is the ease of TR to switch sides. This says a lot about who he is and isn't.

Anonymous said...

Hey there mister uniformed.

Is it a jail? Shouldn't it be secure? Had you bothered to look at the fencing before it was fixed? Who did the work? How much money was saved fixing the run down fencing by having TDCJ do it?

As far as the remodeling goes I suppose you'd rather just build a completely new complex? There's a savings right?

The cadets being off had nothing to do with the instructors and everyone had a choice to either work or take leave and they all chose to take leave. Seriously get your facts straight you're making yourself look stupid now.

Cutler doesn't need to address his sons. They are both adults and responsible for their own stupidity. TR hasn't addressed anything about his behavior other than to produce a hacked up polygraph.

Who's spent money? TR gave 1.2 million hard earned tax dollars to Guadalupe County, Merry Christmas right.

Hypocrisy Watch said...

Yes, it shouldn’t matter what political party the Sheriff if from, but it does matter how they see their manhood.

Cutler is a Republican. So actually his expensive kevlar offices make sense to the critical mind. This is what right wing law and order people do, even at the local level.

At the state level, the law and order right wing rants about and how only they can cost-effectively protect us from the bad guys and than they use tax payer funds to lavish themselves and their money backers with public-funded tax guaranteed private contracts for the now pervasive private prison-industrial complex.

Their law and order machismo mandates they arrogantly buy themselves expensive wasteful infrastructure, equipment, and weaponry. Remember, Dirty Harry Callahan is only a fantasy in real life.

And their right wing supporters hate taxes - but they love having their taxes go to support locking up a vastly disproportionate population of Afro-American men who sit in prisons with no programs for rehabilitation - which is simply another way to insure that these private prison scams keep the beds (or should I say "cots") filled.

That psycho in Arizona is a perfect example of such dysfunction.

Lock up the blacks, browns and the fewer white trash, throw away the key, and then all the law and order types who ignore the real cause of crime - poverty - can head to the strip clubs and celebrate their perennially renewed government contracts.

If you know the voter fraud issue is a real fraud, check into the prison-industrial complex fraud.

It time Hays County hires a woman for Sheriff. They tend to not have crazy John Wayne complexes.

Connor said...

@Hypocrisy, "Is there a doctor in the house?" Way out there in left field, if you get off at the next exit and take the turn around you should be able to get back on topic.

Anonymous said...

All this is sure reminding me of the monumental mistake the County Commissioners Court made when (then) Judge Sumter and the (then) majority Democrat Party Commissioners appointed a Sheriff with absolutely no vetting at all back when Sheriff Bridges passed away.

We could have had a well qualified (and locally vetted) person in office who had the type of proven and openly accessable track record necessary to make management decisions based on both business management and law enforcement experience.

However, the Court decided to go the political route instead of doing what was in the best interest of the taxpaying voters of Hays County.

Now we have the same embarrassing petty political silliness which helps justify local election voter apathy. This type of nonsense encourages voters to stay way from important local elections in droves.

By the way, Hypocrisy, regarding your post about the county needing to "hire" a female Sheriff, the county doesn't "hire" Sheriffs. They are either appointed (when a vacancy in office exists) by our elected representatives on the Commissioner's Court, or they are directly elected to office by the voters of the county in a general election. That is why voting or making an appointment based on a person's track record and resume rather than gender or race (as your last post suggests) is so important. And that is why vetting candidates is extremely important.

God forbid we begin to completely ignore a candidates actual track record and base our vote soley on race or gender. That is scary as hell.