Departments

The Texas Constitution, Article 5 Judicial Department, established the office of Sheriff in each county in Texas. In 1862, John Sansom, a retired Texas Ranger, was appointed the first Sheriff of Kendall County. On January 1, 2013, Al Auxier was sworn in as the 29th Sheriff of Kendall County. As the chief executive of the office, the Sheriff has full authority and responsibility for the management, direction, and control of the operation and administration of the office.

The Sheriff is also responsible for the operation of the county jail and for the housing of prisoners arrested within the county. The Sheriff must submit monthly reports to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, and in turn, the jail is inspected by the Commission on an annual basis. Kendall County has an agreement with Boerne and Fair Oaks Ranch for costs associated with the housing of prisoners prior to their formal commitment to jail by a Magistrate. The Kendall County Detention Facility has a capacity of 102 prisoners.

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office is comprised of 108 employees. This includes 54 full-time, 31 Detention Officers, and 23 Civilian Employees who provide valuable clerical and other support for the office.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Kendall County has a total area of 663 square miles, of which 662.5 square miles is land. Interstate 10, U.S. Highway 46, and 87 are the major transportation routes through Kendall County, with Farm to Market 473, 474, and 1376 also providing routes through the county. As of the 2020 censuses, the population of Kendall County was 42,400 with recently updated population totals of closer to 44,279. The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the unincorporated areas of Kendall County, including the township of Comfort.