Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman announced in February his department will add 32 new deputies, but that number increased in April at a monthly Commissioners Court meeting, when Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle provided funds for another 10 deputies to patrol precinct parks.

Herman said in April the new deputies will be at work within two months.

Out of the 32 positions originally added to the constable’s office, 14 will be assigned to subdivision patrol. Herman did not specify which neighborhoods will receive the patrols, but said 70 percent of the cost will be paid by the homeowners’ associations. The remaining 18 deputy positions will be district patrols funded by the constable’s office.

The cost of each officer is about $100,000, which includes salary, insurance, and payments on vehicles, Herman said.

“I’ve been able to save over $6 million, so a lot of that comes out of my budget,” Herman said.

Herman also authorized $300,000 on bulletproof vests for officers.