The Collin County Sheriff's Office has stopped taking part in National Night Out, the annual evening when neighborhoods host block parties with local law enforcement. A notice now posted on the sheriff's page for the event reads "National Night Out Participation Discontinued" and says the office "is not currently coordinating or participating in National Night Out events."
The page says any future participation will be announced there.
The change follows a county budget decision made in August. During the fiscal year 2027 budget workshop, held Aug. 17 through 21, county commissioners voted 5-0 to cut the sheriff's office sergeant position that handled public information and public affairs, according to the county's published workshop results. The document lists the savings as $163,995 in current salary and benefits.
What the sheriff's office says
In a press release posted on the county website, the sheriff's office said the sergeant's duties included media relations, outreach, crime prevention programs, public education classes and arranging community presentations. The office said the position would be eliminated effective Oct. 1.
The release said the office had asked the Commissioners Court how it was expected to handle media requests and community programs without the position and, as of that writing, had "not received a response." Citing the Oct. 1 date, the office also canceled this year's Citizens Academy, a multi-week class that was set to meet from August into November.
"It is deeply disappointing to cancel a program that has meant so much to our Office," the release said, adding that the office hopes to restore the academy in the future.
The sheriff's public affairs page now tells residents the office will not take new requests for outreach events, speakers, presentations, crime prevention programs or public education.
The county's budget record
The workshop results document records the vote and the dollar figure but does not include commissioners' reasoning. The same session also eliminated a sheriff's office legal advisor position, listed at $244,655, by a 5-0 vote, and approved six new patrol deputy positions, also 5-0. A statement from commissioners explaining the public affairs cut was not found in the county records reviewed for this story.
