The El Paso County Sheriff's Office will be able to fill at least 40 additional detention officer positions a year without using costly overtime pay under a staffing strategy unanimously approved by the Commissioners Court Monday.

The detention officer overfill strategy will allow the Sheriff's Office to use salary savings from department vacancies to temporarily pay for unfunded detention officers at the county's two jails.

Overtime for jail operations has increased since Sheriff Oscar Ugarte took office in January 2025 despite a drop in the number of inmates, raising questions about the spending.