He’s a former HPD beat cop, a former Houston city councilman and now Adrian Garcia is officially the first Hispanic Sheriff in Harris County.
On Sunday afternoon people from different communities joined in the public celebration for Garcia. He has been on the job since January 1, but today’s event gave him a chance to thank his supporters.
He was sworn in by U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore. Other people attending the event held at Minute Maid Park included: U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, Mayor Bill White and his wife Andrea, Newly Elected State Rep. Carol Alvarado, Houston Defender Publisher Sonny Messiah Jiles and her husband Jodie Jiles, Limas Jefferson and Bill Weaver from Jefferson Associates, Inc., Gene Locke and a host of other political and community leaders, along with Garcia’s many relatives and friends.
Sheriff Garcia says his priorities include recruiting more people to join the understaffed law enforcement agency. He also promises to strike a balance between continuity and change in the department.
Several people noted how Garcia’s election has already transformed the image of the Sheriff’s Department.
Noting the many diverse faces in the crowd, Mayor White said it shows that “policies of hope, confidence and inclusiveness are on the rise.”
But just days into his new administration, Garcia is already facing one major hurdle. He is being sued by three former department majors who say they should have been demoted instead of fired by the new Sheriff.
Mary Benton Media 