117 – Law Enforcement Contracts
I. Policy
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Patrol Bureau requires for all requests for participation in the contract deputy program to be directed to the contract administrator’s office of the Patrol Bureau. The Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Unit should organize facilitation and coordination of this program in its entirety.
A. Definitions:
- Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Administrator (Lieutenant): Responsible for the overall performance of the unit. The administrator also serves as the public’s initial point of contact regarding a request for contract patrol services.
- Patrol Contract Program Unit (Deputy): A deputy assigned to the contract program unit to help facilitate the contract initiation process.
- Patrol Contract: An agreement between an organization and HCSO to provide patrol services.
B. Responsibilities:
- Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Administrator (Lieutenant):
a. Is the main point of contact and liaison between the public and HCSO relative to the Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Program.
b. Oversees implementation of the Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Program with an organization. This includes scheduling program presentations, initiation of appropriate paperwork and related documents, and coordination with the appropriate representative in the HCSO Finance Division.
c. Attends, or designates a representative to attend, meetings with requesting organizations, homeowners association members, or with a representative of those groups.
d. Should be experienced in public speaking and / or instruction and possess extensive knowledge in the daily operations of HCSO, Patrol Bureau policies and procedures, and the Patrol Contract Program.
e. Oversees the daily operations of the unit in regards to HCSO supervisory functions.
- Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Representative (Deputy):
a. Should be experienced in public speaking or instruction and possess extensive knowledge in the daily operations of HCSO, Patrol Bureau policies and procedures, and the Patrol Contract Program.
b. Is responsible for meeting with organizations expressing an interest in contracting patrol services with HCSO.
c. Is responsible for soliciting patrol contracts with organizations that currently do not contract with the county or HCSO for patrol services.
d. Should be able to conduct proper presentations designed to enlighten organization members and subdivision residents as to the benefits of having an HCSO patrol contract.
C. Organization of Contract Patrol Unit:
- Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Administrator: Assigned to the Patrol Bureau
- Two (2) Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Program representatives: Assigned to the Patrol Bureau
II. Procedure
A. All presentation requests should be forwarded in writing to the contract administrator’s office. Care should be made to include: organization requesting services, telephone, point of contact, and time frame available for presentation.
B. The contract administrator’s office will receive a written letter from the homeowners association, management company, or municipal utility district requesting patrol services. The letter should include, but not be limited to: the number of deputies requested and the area to be serviced. A map of the patrol area or subdivision should be enclosed.
C. The contract administrator will initiate a contract file and develop a status worksheet.
D. The contract administrator will attach a cover letter addressed to the Patrol Bureau commander requesting approval to begin the contract, indicating the date the contract will become effective. The effective date must be at least 30 to 45 days before the start of the contract in order to have the contract processed and approved through Commissioners Court.
E. Once the request is approved, the contract administrator will generate a contract request form for the County Attorney’s Office. The completed form will be faxed, along with the original request letter and map, to the County Attorney’s Office.
F. Upon completion of the contract by the County Attorney’s Office, a Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Program representative will receive it.
- Three (3) original contracts will be returned with payment vouchers from the County Auditor’s Office.
- A cover letter for contracts, addressed to contracting party, will be prepared and forwarded to the Patrol Bureau commander for signature.
- A copy of the contract will be filed in the Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Program office.
G. Upon signed completion from the Patrol Bureau commander, all three contracts will be attached and placed in an envelope addressed to the contracting party. The appropriate district administrative assistant should be advised the contract is ready. A district deputy should be utilized to receive and deliver the contract to the contracting party.
H. Once signed contracts are received from the contracting party, a cover letter should be initialized from the Sheriff to Commissioners Court. The cover letter and all three original contracts shall be sent to the HCSO Finance Division.
- Copies of the file should be made and maintained by the Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Program.
- HCSO Finance Division personnel will obtain the Sheriff’s signature and forward the contracts for inclusion on the next available Commissioners Court agenda.
I. Once the contract is approved through Commissioners Court, two (2) originals will be returned, and one copy will be forwarded to the County Auditor’s Office.
- The final letter will be sent to the contracting party to be signed by the Patrol Bureau commander for the area.
- County Auditor’s Form 3441, “Position Change Request Form,” will be completed and sent to Human Resources to request position control numbers (PCNs) for the respective number of contract deputies.
- A copy of the Commissioners Court-approved letter will be sent to Fleet Services to inform them of the new contract position.
- A copy of the contract will be made and maintained by the appropriate district’s administrative assistant.
- After receiving the letter, signed by the Patrol Bureau commander to the contracting party, the original contract will be attached to it, and the documents will be sent to the contracting party.
- Once PCNs are received, a copy of the document will be forwarded to the Patrol Bureau commander’s administrative assistant.
J. The final contract will be filed in the Sheriff’s Patrol Contract Program office.
K. HCSO employees will not speak negatively about members of other law enforcement agencies or their services.
- Only factual information shall be presented or represented.
- HCSO should never compare the agency’s quality of services or personnel versus those of another.
- HCSO personnel should only relay what services the agency can or cannot provide. The decision to obtain a patrol contract should reside with the contacting party based on information presented.
L. Employment Rights of Employees Assigned to Patrol Contracts:
When authorized and performed in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines, an employee’s participation in the provisions of law enforcement pursuant to an HCSO or Harris County agreement does not otherwise abridge such employee’s employment rights as provided under the HCSO Civil Service regulations and all applicable personnel regulations approved by Harris County Commissioners Court.
Revision
This policy has been revised on the below listed dates:
April 21, 2009
March 20, 2025 (Technical Changes)