The Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County (DSABC) advocates for its members, both individually and collectively. Its leadership is elected by and for its members with equal representation for law enforcement and detention officers.

STRENGTH

IN

UNITY

OUR VISION/MISSION

Our strength is in numbers, and we

succeed when our members are all

in and the community has our back.

We firmly believe that our strength is magnified when our members and the communities we serve stand together in unity. It is this bond that forms the cornerstone of effective law enforcement. Our members, who are deeply committed to their roles as protectors and peacekeepers, find greater purpose and resolve when supported by the community. Likewise, the community becomes safer and more resilient when its members actively engage with and support their local law enforcement. This mutual respect and collaboration foster an environment where trust is built, challenges are faced collectively, and solutions are crafted together. In this shared commitment, we find our true strength – a harmonious partnership that benefits everyone and upholds the values of safety, respect, and justice.

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History

A Legacy of Strength in Unity

The Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County (DSABC) owes its creation to the determination of BCSO deputies who knew they were stronger in solidarity with each other than on their own. Before the DSABC, too many fellow officers were getting fired every time a new Sheriff took the reins. Too many deputies had to work part time jobs to make ends meet. And too many officeholders misunderstood how public safety policies were put into practice.

During festivities outside the office, when deputies could have frank discussions about working conditions, the idea of forming a union took hold. Deputies Garcia, Huizar, Santiago, and Deputy Henry Martinez, as the President, created the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County. With this new structure, they were able to speak with a stronger voice and to give fallen officers the goodbyes they deserved. They could finally organize proper funeral ceremonies with their own honor guard, not borrowing the one from SAPD.

But that was only the beginning, because, until the association got civil service recognition, all they could do to help improve deputies’ working conditions was plead and beg—not engage in collective bargaining.

In those days, according to Texas State Law, Sheriff’s Deputies in counties of fewer than 1,500,000 residents weren’t eligible for civil service. At the time, Bexar County only had 900,000 residents. In fact, the only Texas county that qualified was Harris County, which would serve as an inspiration for the association’s leaders.

In 1983, with the assistance of Douglas Ward at Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas and lawyer John Alanis, DSABC President Henry Martinez drafted an amendment that would lower the threshold for law enforcement civil service to counties of 950,000 residents or more. Vice President Carlos Santiago lobbied for the bill in Austin, where he it would become Senator Bob Vale’s SB 786. Two months after submission in the Senate, the bill was adopted and signed Governor Bill White on May 24, 1983. Bexar County deputy sheriffs could finally get their seat at the bargaining table with the Sheriff and County officials.

Since then, DSABC leadership has changed many times over. What remains is a persistent drive to make the voices of BCSO deputies heard and respected.