• The Sheriff’s Office now has a fully operational Special Response Team, focusing on school safety.  This team will help our children and educators stay safe in our county schools. This consists of deputies who are SWAT-trained, drone operators, crisis negotiators and more. The goal of this team is to provide a rapid, specialized response to crisis situations, rather than to wait for a Special Response Team from a neighboring county.  
• The FCSO applied for a grant through the Federal Surplus Program and will receive two FREE armored vehicles.  One is an armored Humvee (High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle) which will be used for the Special Response Team or any situation in which a regular vehicle is not practical for use, and the other is a MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) armored vehicle.  The MRAP is a 30,000-pound, fully armored vehicle, which carries up to nine people, protecting them from gunfire and explosives. The vehicles have been approved, and the Sheriff’s Office is waiting on specific vehicles to be assigned, so they can be picked-up. 
• Sheriff Shook traveled to Austin, March 25-26, to visit with legislators to discuss issues and concerns facing Fannin County, including battery storage facilities, wind and solar farms, reservoirs, funding for rural law enforcement, border security, fentanyl and other drug issues.   
• Since January 1, 2025, deputies and dispatchers have received approximately 700 hours of training.  This has given them the ability to hone their skills, in an ever-changing world of crime. The training has varied from crisis communications, forensics analysis, investigating crimes against children and much more. 
• The FCSO has worked to improve and expand their Drone Program.  Drones are often used to locate lost hikers, hunters and fishermen, missing persons and fugitives.  Drones will be particularly helpful on the west side of Bois D’Arc Lake, which is heavily wooded.  The ultimate goal of the FCSO is to have a licensed drone pilot working 24/7. 
• The final stages in solidifying a fully-equipped and trained dive team for Bois D’Arc Lake is currently underway.  The Department has two boats, and in conjunction with the dive team, rescue and recovery efforts will be enhanced.  
• The Canine Program is just weeks away from implementation.  The FCSO will be receiving two dogs; one will be trained for narcotics detection only, and the second dog will be trained in tracking and apprehension, as well as narcotics.  Two dog handlers have already been hired (the handlers will have dual responsibilities as the dog handler and a patrol deputy).  Two cars will soon be retro-fitted, using specialized funds outside of tax revenue, to transport the dogs.
• The FCSO teamed-up with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Bonham P.D. and Trenton P.D. to concentrate efforts to reduce speeding and car accidents on Highway 121.  These efforts continue.
•  Due to explosive growth in the county, the Sheriff’s Office is looking to hire four new deputies (this equates to one additional deputy per patrol shift), due to the increase in call volume. This is pending budget approval for the upcoming budget cycle.

The Sheriff’s Office is planning ahead, in order to protect and serve the citizens of Fannin County.