Outgoing Sheriff Chody Deactivates Twitter Accounts After Loss

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Outgoing Williamson County Robert Chody deactivated Twitter accounts tied to his office after his apparent loss to Mike Gleason in this week's election.

Both the official Williamson County Sheriff's Office page and one for the public information officer have been deactivated. The handles for the accounts were @SheriffChody and @WilcoSheriffPIO. The deletions have sparked both surprise and concern among many residents voicing their reactions on social media.

One resident who spoke to Patch said she reached out to Gary Haston, commander of the criminal investigations division, after he alerted residents his accounts were still active while inviting them to contact him if needed. The resident who lives outside the county has strong ties to Williamson County. The resident said Haston spoke of an imminent transition once Chody's successor takes office.

A screenshot of a message posted on Facebook by Gary Haston, commander of the criminal investigations division.

Without the accounts, it's unclear how residents will stay informed of law enforcement activity since the sheriff's department used those for @SheriffChody and @WilcoSheriffPIO.

Patch on Thursday reached out to sheriff's office spokesperson Patricia Gutierrez for an explanation, but there was no response.

Gleason unseated Chody by more than 32,500 votes on Tuesday, garnering 56 percent of the vote versus 44 percent for Chody, according to unofficial vote totals. The loss was not only political, but financial for Chody after he spent some $1.2 million of his own money for his ultimately failed effort to secure a second term in office. In securing the sheriff's post, Gleason will be the first Democrat to hold a countywide office in more than two decades after taking office on Jan. 1.