Some Dallas County law enforcement agencies report releasing prisoners back on the street due to magistrate judge rule
More than a dozen Dallas County police departments are speaking out about a change they say is impacting public safety, but the Dallas County Sheriff disagrees, saying she's only enforcing laws already in place.
Texas Fraternal Order of Police President Clint McNear said he can't believe what he's been hearing from Dallas County police departments all month.
"I've known the sheriff a long time, and I'm really, really shocked by this," McNear said.
The Dallas Fraternal Order of Police President Sean Pease said a magistrate judge works at the Dallas County Jail.
"When they bring somebody to Dallas County on a Dallas County warrant, the county wants them to be magistrated locally," Pease said.
McNear said Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown abruptly changed a practice that's been in effect for decades by refusing to accept people with arrest warrants who had not seen a magistrate judge. The Sheriff has a different take.
"This is not something that is new. It is just something that is being enforced," Brown said.
Local police departments must either magistrate county charges locally or sign an interlocal agreement to pay the Dallas County Sheriff's Office $567 per prisoner to be housed at the Dallas County Jail, which the sheriff's office operates.
"They shouldn't necessarily have to come to the Dallas County Sheriff's Department before they can have a bond set for them and then be released from the municipal agencies," Brown said.
The Dallas Police Department has an interlocal agreement with Dallas County Jail to process and house its inmates. The Dallas FOP President says the issue is when someone is arrested in another municipality.
"They take him to jail, and Dallas County is going to say, 'You don't have this interlocal agreement. Therefore, we are not going to take this prisoner,'" Pease said.
McNear said several police departments say this has resulted in prisoners being released back on the streets.
"If I catch a bad guy and I may take him down there and they either refuse to accept him, or when I drive off, they open the door and let him out. Why am I trying to catch a fish that nobody's going to clean?" McNear said.
"It really is concerning because, for one, it might make me think twice about going into the City of Dallas or any other jurisdiction that has an interlocal agreement if I'm trying to play it safe," Pease said.
Both FOP presidents said they're hoping for a sit-down meeting with Sheriff Brown to figure out a solution to the problem. Fourteen agencies sent her a letter this week expressing their concerns. Those agencies include:
- Irving Police Association
- Richardson Police Officers Association
- Garland Police Association
- Mesquite Police Association
- DeSoto Police Officers Association
- Farmers Branch Police Officers Association
- DART Police Union
- Addison Police Association
- Carrollton Police Officers Association
- Grand Prairie Police Association
- Sachse Police Association
- Dallas Police Association
- Fraternal Order of Police
- Texas Municipal Police Association
