Sheriff Mike Gleason was elected on November 3, 2020 as the Sheriff of Williamson County, Texas and on January 1, 2021 became the 36th Sheriff of Williamson County, Texas, where he and his family are longtime residents. Mike started off in Corrections while attending school and after being sworn as a licensed peace officer, spent over 23 years at the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. He rose through the ranks holding numerous high ranking command positions in every division within the bureau. Mike served under 5 different Williamson County Sheriffs throughout his career. During his final 15 months of service at the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office he was the Assistant Chief Deputy in charge of jail operations, overseeing close to 300 corrections employees, approximately 700 inmates, and an annual budget of approximately $23.6 million. Mike retired from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office as an Assistant Chief Deputy.
Mike became interested in law enforcement after attending a career-day presentation when he was in 7th grade. While attending high school he began doing ride-outs with Austin Police Department officers, including his brother-in-law, who had been his male role model since his father’s death at a young age.
Mike completed his undergraduate studies in Criminal Justice while being the first ever to receive the Dr. M. James Moritz Scholarship from the 100 Club of Texas, graduated from the 217 Session of the FBI National Academy Quantico, Virginia, attended Sam Houston State University and graduated from the Correction Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) program at Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT), and complete his MBA at Charter University. Additionally, he holds numerous certifications including Firearms Training Instructor, Master Peace Officer License, Mental Health Officer, Secret Security Clearance, and Advanced Accident Investigation and Reconstruction.
Sheriff Mike Gleason is passionate and committed to Mental Health reforms that will resolve some of the existing challenges, with a focus on mental health treatment programs to lower recidivism rates. Mike was responsible for the creation of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), in 2006 under the direction of Sheriff James Wilson. In 2008 the CIT became a nationally recognized program, Williamson County Sheriff’s Office was awarded “National Sheriff of the Year”, under former Sheriff James Wilson. The CIT Team is trained to understand and assist with individuals suffering from mental health or other related problems. He has already reconstructed a CIT team to handle the multitude of mental health calls and to help ensure the safety of the citizens.
Sheriff Mike Gleason is absolutely against defunding of police. He believes in creating strong partnerships with our county and local city leadership to ensure our Sheriff’s department is adequately funded and receives the support needed. He believes it is the job of the Sheriff to responsibly and appropriately manage a budget that provides citizens, taxpayers, and employees with the service they deserve. During his previous tenure at Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, he developed many initiatives for pay, due process, career growth, and technology improvements. He has the demonstrated ability to foster strong relationships with other law enforcement agencies and government bodies and is in the process of rebuilding those relationships between WCSO and other agencies.
Sheriff Gleason is honored to serve his community, implement programs/processes that will rebuild community trust in law enforcement, and create an environment that supports strong employee morale, while ensuring that all employees are afforded proper due process. He is a leader who is committed to working for employees, constituents, and the greater good of our community.