Criminal Investigations

Hays County Sheriff's Office has a division within the office dedicated to investigating crimes. The Criminal Investigations Division was officially established as a division in 1989 under Sheriff Paul Hastings. From 1848 until the 1980s, the Sheriff and his deputies conducted all investigations, evidence collection, and storage. In 1990, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force was established. The Narcotics Task Force uses detectives from the Hays County Sheriff’s Office and the San Marcos Police Department to conduct investigations.

Contact: Lt. Michael Briggs

Phone: (512)-393-7822

Capt. Mark Cumberland – Law Enforcement

Lt. Clint Pulpan – OPR (Office of Professional Responsibility)

Narcotics Investigations

512-753-2170 during normal business hours or 512-393-7896 after hours.

Community Outreach

The Community Outreach Division is responsible for special programs and events for the Hays County Sheriff’s Office. This division is responsible for the following programs and is available to speak or give a presentation for any event for your group:

National Night Out

National Night Out (NNO) is a community-police awareness-raising event held the first Tuesday of October in Texas. (In other parts of the country NNO is held in August). The event has been held annually since 1984 and is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch in the United States and Canada.

The event is meant to increase awareness about police programs in communities, such as drug prevention, town watch/Neighborhood Watch, and other anti-crime efforts. Initially communities held lights-on vigils. Now, many communities hold block parties, festivals, and other events to help bring neighbors together.

National Night Out, ‘America’s Night Out Against Crime,’ was introduced by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) in 1984. The program was the brainchild of NATW Executive Director Matt A. Peskin. In an effort to heighten awareness and strengthen participation in local anticrime efforts, Peskin felt that a high-profile, high-impact type of crime prevention event was needed nationally. At that time, he noted that in a typical ‘crime watch community’, only 5 to 7% of the residents were participating actively.

Due to the growth and success of these programs, he felt this percentage was too low. Subsequently, he proposed a national program which would be coordinated by local crime prevention agencies and organizations – but that would involve entire communities at one time.

The first National Night Out was introduced early in 1984 – with the event culminating on the first Tuesday in August. That first year, 400 communities in 23 states participated in National Night Out. Nationwide, 2.5 million Americans took part in 1984. The seed had been planted, and in subsequent years, participation has grown steadily. National Night Out in Texas is conducted every October. Contact us at 512-393-7373 for more information.

Neighborhood Watch

The communities of Hays County participate in the Neighborhood Watch program to communicate vital law enforcement information to each other and the Sheriff’s Office. The program is held by the Sheriff’s Office but every individual subdivision coordinates their own meetings and email distribution. Information that can be shared includes crime statistics, suspicious people or vehicles in the area, and while on vacation advising neighbors to keep an eye on your property. Communication is the key. Neighbors who know each other and participate in this program are not only making good friends they are actively creating safer communities.

Any individual or neighborhood who would like to participate can obtain information about the program 512-393-7373.

Community Safety Guide

Business Watch

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office is working with all the Hays County Law Enforcement agencies and Chambers of Commerce to create a Business Watch Program. We expect to have it up and running in the very near future. Check back soon to find updated information on what will be a vital tool to keep you as a business owner or manager informed and safe.

Brown Santa

Brown Santa is an annual event used by the Hays County Sheriff’s Office to collect toys, food, and funds for families of Hays County that are in need. The assistance of deputies, correction officers, dispatchers, and the community typically reach out to touch the lives of hundreds of families. The program is similar to the city police department Blue Santa programs. The brown color is the historical uniform color of most Texas sheriff’s offices. Brown Santa operations begin in late October or early November, and culminate in the delivery of Christmas presents and food just prior to Christmas. If you wish to volunteer or for more information, call 512-393-7373.

Volunteer in Police Services (VIPS)

The Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) Program offers a no-cost resource to enhance the capacity of law enforcement to utilize volunteers throughout the Hays County Sheriff’s Office. Our volunteers are graduates from the Hays County Citizens Academy and are current Alumni members. The volunteers work with employees within the Sheriff’s Office, duty details range from making phone calls, filing and computer data entry, as well as a number of other assignments.

For more information regarding the VIPS program, call 512-393-7373. You can also visit http://policevolunteers.org/ to learn more.

Training Academy

The mission of the Hays County Sheriff’s Academy is to provide the highest quality law enforcement instruction and to always ensure that the standards and requirements of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office are met or exceeded. Read the full HCSO Training Catalog.

School Resource Officers

The Hays County Sheriff's Office works with school districts throughout Hays County to provide School Resource Officers (SROs). These SROs are licensed peace officers in the state of Texas. As of November 2023, Hays County has 15 SROs and is hiring additional deputies to cover required staffing under Texas House Bill 3, which went into effect in September.