Galveston County Sheriff's Office experiences 'mass exodus' before new sheriff is sworn-in

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The outgoing Galveston County sheriff is seeing something he's never witnessed before with a mass exodus of employees before a new administration takes over.

The whiteboard inside the sheriff's conference room is usually filled with names of deputies set to receive promotions. There are names on it.

This time, the names aren't for promotions but retirements, 21 names to be exact, with 724 years of experience.

"I've never seen this in the 41 years at our agency for this mass exodus," Sheriff Henry Trochesset said.

Trochesset is one of those leaving since he didn't seek re-election.

Although so many are moving on, he said more than 500 full-and part-time employees will remain in the office.

"The men and women who are still going to be carrying the badge and doing what they should be doing, I think, are going to do an outstanding job, whoever that may be," Trochesset explained.

The mass exodus comes after what happened in November's election when Jimmy Fullen won the race.

ABC13's news partners at the Houston Chronicle investigated the incoming sheriff. The Houston Chronicle found that a state commission stated that Fullen was untruthful twice about past incidents.

A hearing will occur days after Fullen's sworn-in, which could result in his license's loss. Eyewitness News has emailed and called Fullen multiple times since Monday but has not heard back.

Trochesset said there are several reasons why employees are fleeing.

"Some have been asked not to return, and some did not want to work for the new administration," Trochesset explained.

One of those is Susan Hernandez. After 18 years, she's retiring next month.

She's worried about sick family members and how the new sheriff will allow her to help them.

"I have a clean record, so I don't want to be let go with that," Hernandez said.

Hernandez is concerned about the community and the deputies sticking around.

"Tension is up," Hernandez explained. "There are still some people that don't know what's going to happen with their jobs."

Trochesset hopes the agency he's worked at for 41 years will be fine, but he admits it may take time.

"Knowledge goes a long way. It doesn't matter what field you're in," Trochesset said. "A knowledged plumber, a knowledged mechanic for a car, they're able to fix it faster and know what to look for quicker."

With so many names and years on the board, Trochesset knows the challenge that's ahead.

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