A vote for David Williams, the Democrat running to be the next sheriff of Comal County, is a “vote for change, vote for community safety.”
It’s also a vote against the incumbent, Republican Sheriff Mark Reynolds, who is seeking a third term in office.
Williams has made criticism of Reynolds’ tenure the focal point of his campaign, which centers around community and family protection, integrity, and transparency.
He said he knows what he’s talking about.
The El Paso native and father of two young children spent seven years working with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office before working for Reynolds for two years. He’s now a New Braunfels Police Department (NBPD) officer.
“As a law enforcement officer, I’ve served for nearly a decade in the great state of Texas,” he told CROWDPAC. “I have a long range of experience, from working in jail to patrolling the streets of Bexar and Comal County. I’ve also had the privilege of working in agency administration in various roles, from staffing to special projects. As a recipient of the 2022 Comal ISD Mentor of the Year, I also know how important it is to invest in our youth, as they are our future.”
Williams wants to see the Sheriff’s Office collaborate with the community and also become more transparent.
“Lots of residents here don’t know what’s going on as far as the crime,” he told MyCanyonLake.com. “Families are having kids sexually assaulted at schools; nothing’s being done.”
According to Williams, Comal County has seen a 22% increase in sex-related offenses, a 22% increase in burglaries, and 16 confirmed cases of human trafficking. (MyCanyonLake.com was unable to verify this information independently.)
The Sheriff’s Office is not following through on reports of sexual assault, he said. And investigators only work business hours.
This is probably news to Comal County residents, he said.
If elected, Williams wants to eliminate the “good-ole-boy system that is currently plaguing the department.”
Williams said he did not grow up in a middle-class neighborhood and understands why some in the community might not be too fond of the police.
“I know both sides of the spectrum.”
He wants to work with everyone, he said, no matter their social or economic status.
Also on Williams’ list is providing better training for sheriff’s deputies, keeping neighborhoods safe, prioritizing the safety of schools and child care agencies, and working with all first responder agencies to develop a plan for faster response to calls for service.
Reynolds doesn’t work with other law enforcement agencies in the area, he said, adding he’s very fearful about active-shooter situations.
“If we’re in a place where both agencies have to respond, how will that teamwork look,” he said. “Will it be a power struggle?”
I wouldn’t vote for a Democrat if they were running for Sewer Inspector
Now I know who not to vote for
He should run on a promise to support a Juvenile Detention Center. Comal County not having a place to jail young offenders is the single biggest reason our crime situation is what it is. The County will avoid having to pay other Counties to house their young offenders and as a result enforcement of all but the most serious of crimes is ignored if the offender is not an adult.