Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Issues Facing Longtime Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio As He Seeks Re-Election

Sheriff Omar Lucio
Every four years several men with law enforcement backgrounds don cowboy hats and run for sheriff in Cameron County.  Maybe they shouldn't; wear cowboy hats, that is.  I can't seem to find a picture of longtime incumbent Omar Lucio in a cowboy hat.

The first thing opponents say about the 84 year old incumbent is that "he's too old."  Reports circulated during the 2012 campaign that Lucio napped all day in a Lazy Boy recliner while the department was run by "the Reyna brothers."  Yet, those reports don't seem credible as in private conversation, the sheriff seems lucid, thoughtful, alert and knowledgeable.  Lucio also frequently appears on the local media, reporting on crimes, incidents and tragedies, always with a certain soft-spoken professionalism.

A better case for replacing Lucio would be his mollycoddling of top assistant Gus Reyna.  Here is our MMB report from September 2014:

"Reyna, accompanied by a close male friend, once employed by the sheriff's department, was driving a county vehicle, a 2011 Ford Expedition, when he reportedly collided with a vehicle driven by a 36 year old woman, also once employed by the sheriff's department. Neither operator reported the accident, as required by law in accidents with physical damage exceeding $500. Juan Montoya of El Rrun Rrun blog reported the damage to both vehicles exceeded $7,000. As a sheriff's department employee, Reyna is required to submit to a drug and alcohol screening within two hours of the accident."

Gus Reyna, backed by former
Human Resources Director Arnold Flores
A month or so later, Reyna was involved in another accident in a county vehicle, this time resulting in injuries.  Reportedly, he refused alcohol and drug testing.  Lucio handled both matters "in house" and, allegedly, Reyna checked himself into rehab.  With so many victims of those driving under the influence in this country, not to mention local sheriff's deputies apprehending private citizens who drive under the influence, how can the sheriff retain as his top aid someone who, not only drives under the influence, but ignores the rules for reporting accidents and property damage while driving county vehicles?

Another blight on the department under Lucio's tenure is is the revelation in April 2014 eight deputies had to be fired for cheating on their civil service exams.  Former Human Resources Director Arnold Flores also took heat in that fiasco.


5 comments:

  1. Omar Lucio is an embarrassment to the county and the Reyna Brothers are behind his new campaign...so they can keep their jobs. We have heard Lucio state to the press that those who support him get "special consideration if they ever have a "problem with the law". We have seen it in the past; when he refused to arrest Joey de la Garza (son of Aurora de la Garza) when he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a local hospice. Omar Lucio is part of the political problem in Cameron County. Omar Lucio should retire and go home.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gus Reyna and his brother are corrupt and part of the problem with county government. They support a senile old man (Omar Lucio), because without him, they might have to work for a living.....and neither has the brains to do that. The Reyna brothers are leeches on the county and should be disposed of.

    ReplyDelete
  3. hey the Sheriif got his 10% raise. trying to keep it hush hush to his employees. he only cares about his ad. they make a lot of overtime money. they just want more for themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  4. all of em are a buncha crooked idiots......vote for em again and be an idiot too...

    ReplyDelete
  5. They hide and duck and weave.....it's all about who knows who and who keeps their mouths shut with that bunch of crooks!
    At 82 years old, he doesn't need to be "over" anything except where he's gonna be spending his retirement years......

    ReplyDelete