Lawenforcement, community welcome annex
In addition to providing the meansto patrol the unincorporated areas around Bacliff and San Leon, Galveston County Sheriff’s Deputy Angelica Uvalle’s vehicle doubled as an office.
She did her paperwork and conducted interviews in her vehicle and used it to drop off physical evidence in cases at headquarters on Galveston Island. When she needed to use a restroom, she relied on local restaurants. No longer. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office recently opened its first annex on the mainland at 811 Grand in Bacliff. A former gaming hall that was seized by the department four years ago, the 2,800-square-foot property was gutted and has been completely renovated. It houses two interview rooms, one with video recording capabilities. It also features a meeting room, evidence locker, offices both for the sheriff’s deputies and Precinct 1 Constable Rick Sharp’s officers, and most importantly restrooms.
“The facility is very beneficial, especially for the female deputies,” Uvalle said. “There’s not a lot of places to go to the restroom around here where youfeel safe.”
Uvalle said the facility allows officers to be more efficient with paperwork and evidence and is a central presence in the community.
“It’s very beneficial for everybody,” she said.
Uvalle’s boss, Sheriff Henry Trochesset, said the community has longwanted and needed
a visible police presence. He said the community has the highest call volume of any unincorporated area in the county — much of it re- lated to drugs, illegal gambling and theft of property or cars, and his officers needed a place other than their vehicles to conduct business.
Thenewfacility, he said, lends a higher level of professionalism and provides a spacious, clean and safe environment for officers.
“There is a comfort in having a facility to come to and work from,” Trochesset said. “It makes our job easier, and the community knows there is a presence 24/7.”
Galveston County Commissioners Court approved funding for the facility, which cost $280,000 to renovate. Trochesset directed the design with the help of builder Steve Mataro of DSW Homes in Galveston.
“It’s a thousand percent better,” said Sharp, comparing it to the cramped quarters the department recently moved out of at 4500 10th St. in Bacliff.
With six full-time constables and five reserve officers on his staff, Sharp said the new facility provides a boost in many ways.
“I think the public has a higher regard for the office and the officers when they see this,” Sharp said.
Joe Manchaca, president of the San Leon Municipal Utility District, said he couldn’t be happier about the permanent facility. He said a visible presence is more likely to deter criminals.
“We rely solely on the sheriff’s department for police protection; so this is extremely important to us,” he said. “It makes for a muchsafer environment.” Annette Baird is a freelance writer