In January 1982, the newly elected Constable for Precinct 8, Charlie Isbell, was shot and killed by his wife at his home. Harris County Commissioners Court re-appointed former Constable Jake Bussey (1950-1980) to the office until the November 1982 election. A local country music radio legend known as "Buffalo" Bill Bailey was on that ballot and was elected to the post. Bill Bailey took office in 1983 and held the position until his retirement in 2011. Constable Bailey was a larger than life kind of man and put his own special touch on the agency. He had a love of God, family, music, rodeo and most of all, people. The department grew tremendously over the course of the 28 ½ years that Constable Bailey held office. He led the department as it grew from a handful of Deputies in 1983, to over 70 employees in 2011 with a budget of nearly $6.5 million. Constable Bill Bailey definitely left his mark on Precinct 8 and helped shape the careers and lives of many within the Precinct 8 family. He passed away on July 27, 2017 at the age of 78.
Click here to read an article published in the Spring 2007 edition of the Horizons magazine on Constable Bailey.
Click here to view the press release issued following his death in 2017.