Collin County appoints Precinct 1 Constable

The Collin County Commissioners Court has appointed Shane Williams to serve as Constable for Precinct 1 in the county after the man elected to the seat died of an illness.

The appointment comes almost one month after the Collin County Sheriff’s Office announced that Deputy Sheriff and constable-elect for Precinct 1 Mike “Mookie” Vance had died of a short illness.

Commissioner Susan Fletcher, who represents Precinct 1, moved to appoint Williams during the court’s regular meeting, but at first, no other court members made a move to second her motion. The motion failed as a result, but no other commissioners offered an alternative option for the appointment.

Fletcher moved once again to appoint Williams, and Collin County Judge Chris Hill seconded the motion. Williams’s appointment was approved with a unanimous vote.

Williams has served as the Precinct 1 constable before. He was elected to the spot in 2012 after running unopposed, and he was elected in 2016 against Libertarian contender Mark Wester.

However, in March, Williams lost the primary election for the Republican spot to Vance, who garnered 62% of the votes over Williams’s 38%.

Vance ran without an opponent on Nov. 3 and won 47,264 votes, according to Collin County. His death was announced on Nov. 27.

Williams’ term will continue through the Nov. 8, 2022 general election.

According to the Collin County website, Williams received basic law enforcement training at Texoma Regional Police Academy. He served as a deputy in the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office from 1998 to 2004 and as a warrant deputy in the Dallas County Constable’s Office from 2003 to 2008. Williams was also a deputy constable for Constable Paul Elkins in Collin County’s Precinct 1 from 2008 to 2012.

Williams’ education includes a stint at Collin County and Grayson County community colleges and Texas A&M University-Commerce.