Government
BY ANNA MANESS
WilCo Sheri Matthew Lindemann works to keep home county safe Williamson County’s newest elected sheri comes with about four decades of law enforce- ment experience. Throughout Matthew Lindemann’s career, which began when he was 19 as a Williamson County jailer, he’s only not been stationed in Williamson County for eight months. Following the Nov. 5 election, Lindemann was sworn in as county sheri Jan. 1. Lindemann sat down with Community Impact to discuss the goals for his rst term. You served as a Texas Ranger earlier in your career. How do you think that experience set you up for your role as county sheri? When you’re a Texas Ranger, you work with local law enforcement agencies on their major investigations. At times, there had been investi- gations that I worked on where there would be 30 or 40 people from di erent agencies working together. ... I had experience in managing people, even though they didn’t work directly for me, but managing major investigations. ... Working with other great people from other great agencies [prepares] you for things that you don’t even realize at the time. What are some steps you’ve made to become more transparent with citizens? About the rst week of February, we put out stats on our website and on our Facebook page. ... It just tells the public where their money’s going— calls for service, the number of people arrested that month, and that’s collectively of all law enforcement. ... A lot of people, they may see one patrol car go down their street in a month’s time. Well, they don’t realize that we answered 10,228 calls for service. During the election, your campaign focused on being “tough on crime.” How is your o ce dealing with crime countywide? Detectives are doing great work every day. Three or four times over the last ve weeks, I’ve seen pictures of search warrants that they executed and seized drugs and weapons that they’ve taken o the street. That’s going to help reduce crime, because that’s one less weapon the bad guys will have to use against people. ... We have a drug interdiction unit that works hard every day trying to take down drugs o the interstate and seize
Lindemann's law enforcement background
1985: Williamson County jailer
1985-1990: Williamson County deputy sheri
1990-1997: State trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety, serving on the DPS SWAT team 1997-2018: Texas Ranger, including serving on the protective detail for Gov. George W. Bush and Gov. Rick Perry during their campaigns for presidency
2019-2021: Williamson County District Attorney’s Oce investigator
2021-2024: Williamson County Precinct 3 constable
2025: Williamson County sheri
SOURCE: MATTHEW LINDEMANNCOMMUNITY IMPACT
ANNA MANESSCOMMUNITY IMPACT
each deputy is between $150,000-$200,000 by the time you buy their vehicle and the equipment that goes in the vehicle and [train] them. ... But that’s just the cost of doing business. [The] main thing I want to do is make sure each one of the deputies comes home safe at the end of every day. In March, you’ll have served in law enforcement for 40 years. Reecting on your career, what are you most proud of? Wow, that’s a tough question. I’ve gotten to work with so many talented people over the years that have helped me be a better ocer, and I’ve had a lot of opportunities given to me that I took full advantage of. I’m very thankful for that. [I’m] thankful to have lived and worked in Williamson County, where I grew up. Hopefully we’ll be able to keep it safe for families for years to come. My grandchildren are being raised here right now, and that’s why Williamson County is so important to me. It’s my home, and I don’t plan on living anywhere else, as far as I know.
money from the criminals, so we can use that to buy equipment and train with. What’s the reasoning behind the expansion of the Juvenile Justice Center, and the proposed sheri’s o ce and jail expansion? With population comes increased crime, so you have to have the facilities to deal with it. If you don’t have places to house people that break the law and commit crimes, then you have to send them to other counties who charge you. ... Over the next eight to 10 years, I fully expect there [to] be a new sheri ’s oce, jail and courthouse complex. With more people and more crime com- ing, we have to be able to deal with that to keep Williamson County safe for people to live here, work here, raise their children here. It’s costly, but it’s what’s necessary. What other priorities have come up as you’ve entered this position? I want our personnel to focus on taking care of our most vulnerable population, and that’s seniors and our children. We need to work hard to educate our kids ... not [to] take anything that a doctor or pharmacist or their parents don’t give to them. Our seniors are being victimized daily by phone scams. ... The Sheri ’s Oce is not going to call anyone and request money from them. ... If [we] have a warrant for their arrest, we’ll probably come out and see them. What’s next for the Sheri’s O ce? We’re going to be asking for probably ... 20 more deputies for next year. And that’s a big ask, because
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com.
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