El Paso Sheriff Warns of Staffing Crisis

El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugardi is raising red flags about severe staffing shortages at his office, forcing heavy overtime just to keep jails.

Running. After a closed door budget meeting with county commissioners on Thursday, April 16, he stressed the knee for 100 more detention.

Officers at the downtown jail, and its annexed to handle daily operations.

Over time spending is burning through cash faster than usual, with public safety already using 47% of its budget by the end of February.

In a fiscal year that kicked off last October, public safety eats up 34% of the county's $495 million general fund for fiscal year 2026.

Sheriff Ugardi, now in his second year, called out years of neglect that's hitting his team hard, even as they meet Texas jail standards.

The constant overtime is wearing down deputies and staff, making the whole set up unsustainable for a growing community.

Even with a 14% drop in overall county crime last year, special units like the DWI Task Force are leaning on overtime deputies to stay active.

County leaders, including Judge Ricardo Samaniego, back the sheriff's push and pledge to tackle these budget and ops issues together, prioritizing public safety without spilling more details right now.

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