Hernandez takes the oath

The Travis County Commissioners Court chambers saw a rare sight on Wednesday afternoon: a crowd. It was standing-room only inside the massive room (with an overflow area set up outside) as hundreds gathered to witness the ceremonial swearing-in of Sheriff Sally Hernandez. County Judge Sarah Eckhardt served as the master of ceremonies for the event, which also featured video salutations by Mayor Steve Adler and Congressman Lloyd Doggett, as well as the swearing-in of Hernandez’s command staff. During her brief speech, Hernandez recalled her troubled youth as a teenage runaway, and the intervention and community support that provided her a detour away from a county jail that she could have ended up in but now oversees. She pledged to use the lessons she learned to ensure that her deputies are involved in proactive community policing and jail diversion. Hernandez said, “Many in our country have felt the turmoil, the fear, the confusion and hate because of recent national events. It’s easy to place the blame and shut out opportunities to do what is right. If doing the right thing is easy, our world would be perfect. Obviously, we still have a long way to go.” She concluded that just as she will uphold her oath to help the community, she herself will likewise need help from the community. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work, and that hard work starts today,” said Hernandez.