Sheriff’s Office Limits Contact with Public

In a statement issued this morning, Comal County Sheriff’s Office said it will limit some public contact to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

However, “the presence of deputies in the county will not change.”

The Sheriff’s Office said it is following the Centers for Disease Control recommendations and will resume normal operations when it becomes safe to do so.

Effective Immediately:

• Emergency/life-threatening calls or “in-progress” calls for service will be handled in the same manner as always and will not change.
• Non-emergency/routine calls for service will be handled over the telephone, if at all possible. If a deputy is required, our communications staff have been directed to ask if anyone in the household is exhibiting symptoms of the COVID-19 virus.
• Deputies responding to a residence will make every attempt not to go inside unless it is absolutely necessary and will be asking people to step outside when responding to a call for service.
• Deputies will try to maintain a “social distance” of approximately six feet with persons they are interacting with.
• Fingerprinting services for civilians has been suspended until further notice.
• The Citizen Sheriff Academy has been postponed until further notice.
• All civilian ride-outs have been suspended until further notice.
• All volunteer services have been suspended until further notice.
• All 68A (Vehicle Inspections) have been suspended until further notice.
• Visitors coming into the secure area of the Sheriff’s Office will be restricted on a needs basis.

Jail/Corrections:

• Pursuant to a recommendation from Texas Commission on Jail Standards, all face-to-face visits for inmates have been canceled until further notice, with the exception of attorney visits.
• Medical staff will assess all incoming arrestees specifically for COVID-19. If the arrestee is showing symptoms of the virus, the arresting officer will be redirected to take the arrestee to a hospital. The arrestee will not be accepted in the jail until he/she has been cleared by a doctor.
• Access to the jail will be limited to persons with a legitimate law enforcement purpose.