Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner canceled the Sheriff's Office Citizens Academy, warning that his department has no plan for handling media requests or community outreach after Thursday, Oct. 1. The Commissioners Court voted to eliminate the office's only public affairs position during its FY2027 budget workshop. Prosper and Celina both operate their own municipal police departments and are not patrolled day to day by the Sheriff's Office, as this article originally stated; the cut instead affects countywide services the Sheriff's Office provides to all Collin County residents, including jail operations, warrant processing and court support.

The court voted during the budget workshop the week of Aug. 17 to cut the position held by Sgt. Jessica Pond, the Sheriff's Office's sole public information and public affairs sergeant, according to a statement Skinner posted on Monday, Aug. 24 — not Sunday, Aug. 23, as this article originally stated. The position will be eliminated Thursday, Oct. 1, the start of the county's new fiscal year.

Pond oversees public information, community engagement, crime prevention education and the coordination of community events and presentations for the Sheriff's Office, which serves unincorporated Collin County and provides support to cities including Prosper and Celina.

Skinner said he asked Commissioners Court how his office is expected to handle public information and media requests after the cut takes effect. As of Aug. 23, he had not received a response.

Citizens Academy canceled mid-launch

The budget decision forced Skinner to cancel Citizens Academy Class 30, which was set to begin the week of Monday, Aug. 24. The Sheriff's Office describes the academy as a seven-week program with twice-weekly evening sessions — not the 14-week, 45-hour format this article originally described — giving Collin County residents hands-on exposure to sheriff's operations, including tours of the county's Detention Facility and demonstrations from its DRT, dive and K-9 teams.

Skinner said he could not responsibly start a class that runs through November when the position coordinating it disappears Oct. 1.

"It is deeply disappointing to cancel a program that has meant so much to our Office and to reduce community engagement services that have built relationships throughout Collin County for many years," Skinner said in the statement.

Budget context

The budget cut came weeks after Commissioners Court approved placing an $817.5 million bond package on the November ballot at its Aug. 10 meeting, covering jail and courthouse improvements, roads, parks and a new elections facility, according to Community Impact.

The exact vote count on eliminating Pond's position has not been made public. The court is chaired by County Judge Chris Hill and includes commissioners Susan Fletcher, Cheryl Williams, Darrell Hale and Duncan Webb.

Neither the Commissioners Court nor Hill's office has publicly addressed Skinner's concerns about how public information duties will be handled after Oct. 1.

Residents who had registered for Citizens Academy Class 30 can contact the Sheriff's Office at [email protected].