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Texas gives $125 million to rural sheriffs, prosecutors for pay increases

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Several vehicles were parked outside of the Real County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 12, 2022. Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas TribuneSeveral vehicles were parked outside of the Real County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 12, 2022. Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune

By Carlos Nogueras Ramos
Texas Tribune

ODESSA — Texas has awarded $125 million in grants to rural sheriffs and prosecutors across the state, the Texas Comptroller said in a statement last week — an effort to help those law enforcement agencies attract and keep talent in their communities.

The pool of money was established by state lawmakers last year in Senate Bill 22, which passed with bipartisan support. The legislation, authored by state Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, totaled $330 million and established grants for increasing minimum salaries and additional equipment.

Rural law enforcement can apply for the grant again in 2025, which the comptroller will issue using the remaining money.

The comptroller’s office, which among other duties manages the state’s budget and collects taxes, began accepting applications last year and determined the amount each county would receive by population size. Only counties with a population smaller than 300,000 were eligible for the grant.

Of Texas’ 254 counties, 236 have populations slimmer than 300,000, according to a 2022 estimate from the Texas Demographic Center.

The comptroller’s office said 94% of eligible sheriff’s offices applied for money. Nearly 86% of eligible prosecutors’ officers applied, the comptroller said. The comptroller awarded grants to 224 sheriff offices and 138 prosecutors offices.

The grant’s recipients must first raise pay — with sheriffs earning $75,000, deputies $45,000, and jailers $40,000 — before using the money to buy equipment. The grants ranged from $250,000 to $500,000 for sheriff’s offices. Prosecutors could apply for anywhere between $100,000 and $275,000.

The money is a start to reverse a long-term decline of prosecutors in rural Texas counties, said Pamela Metzger, executive director of the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center at the SMU Dedman School of Law.

“I think it’s terrific that the legislature is recognizing our rural criminal justice communities,” Metzger said.

Texas has experienced a sharp, years-long decline in criminal defense attorneys, a report authored by Metzger at the legal think tank found. The study gathered the number of practicing lawyers in the state whose addresses and offices were in the state using the bar association’s database.

Less than one percent of lawyers practiced criminal defense law in rural parts of Texas, hampering the ability of rural prosecutor’s offices to find and employ public defenders it could dispatch to courts.

Metzger said that an individual accused of a crime in a major city typically has a guaranteed public defender representing them in court within a day.

“If you live anywhere else, you’ll have to wait 72 hours or maybe a weekend, just because of where you live,” Metzger said.

And the influx of money is a boon for law enforcement offices with lean budgets operating in counties with a smaller tax base, said Michael Lazcano, a chief deputy at Reeves County and vice president of the Big Bend Area Law Enforcement Officers Association, an organization representing 20 law enforcement agencies in West Texas, the majority of which are rural.

“These funds might not be there next year, so it’s good for smaller agencies to have,” Lazcano said.

Still, Lozano said money is one part of the equation. He said that law enforcement agencies, especially rural ones, will continue to grapple with recruitment.

“For new recruits, it’s different,” Lazcano said. “It’s not very appealing anymore to the younger generation to come into law enforcement.”

A 2022 study by the U.S. Department of Justice found that recruiting has been a persisting challenge for sheriff’s offices. The number of full-time, sworn officers — 174,000 — has not increased since 1997.

Sheriff’s offices have closed personnel gaps by employing more civilians, whose participation “more than doubled” in the last two decades. The number of civilians occupying administrative roles rose to 191,000 in 2020, according to the report.

 

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TxDOT scholarship fund rewards students for cleaning up their communities

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DontMessWithTexas STOCK

Special to the Booster

AUSTIN – Texas students who helped clean up and beautify their communities can now apply for a scholarship contest awarding a total of $10,000.

The annual Don’t mess with Texas® Scholarship Contest is now accepting applications for the 2024 school year.

All Texas high school seniors currently attending public, private or home school, and planning to attend an accredited college, university or trade school in the fall 2024 semester are eligible to apply. Judges will select two winners based on applicants’ proven results in leading projects or efforts focused on educating communities about the importance of keeping our state and roadways clean and litter-free.

Sponsored by Ozarka and iHeartMedia, the contest recognizes the creativity of high school seniors who are taking a leadership role in preventing litter in their communities.

“It’s important that future generations feel empowered to create long-term, sustainable solutions to make their communities litter-free. Our state is counting on these leaders to keep Texas litter-free for decades to come,” said Norma Rios, program coordinator for TxDOT’s Don’t mess with Texas campaign.

Past winners include 2023 winner Hayden with Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy in Greenville. Hayden developed the Trashy Tuesday campaign. At least twice a month students would gather after school on a Tuesday and clean litter around their campus. The project expanded to cleaning community parks as well.

Neddah with Brownsville Early College High School in Brownsville was another 2023 scholarship recipient. Neddah was a leader of the Environmental Club at her school.

The group conducted a litter survey, and then developed and implemented a litter management plan at her campus. They also created an on-campus recycling program and created a competition among the classrooms to see who can recycle the most.

Don’t mess with Texas has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. The program includes annual “Trash-Off” community outreach events and the Adopt-a-Highway volunteer program.

To apply for the Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship Contest, visit

dontmesswithtexas.org

. Applications must be received via online submission by 5 p.m. (CDT) on April 2, 2024.

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TCSO warns of scam

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Scam Alert

By Chris Edwards
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

TYLER COUNTY – A recent scam has targeted the county’s elderly population and has involved the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office, according to Sheriff Bryan Weatherford.

Weatherford said that recently his agency has received multiple reports from residents about a phone scam where the scammers are identifying themselves as “a sergeant” from TCSO. Weatherford said the scams go as such: the caller informs the victim that they have active warrants, and then request payments in the form of cash app, money orders and other forms of online payment methods.

Weatherford warned the public that scammers have the ability to mask numbers and locations. “They can ‘spoof’ their number to make it appear as if the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office is actually calling,” he said. TCSO does not demand payments, nor does it call people to notify them of active warrants, Weatherford said.

“The scammers may also send you forged documentation of badges with the photo of a local, state or federal officer,” he said. “Always verify in person if you have any doubt when contacted by someone claiming to be law enforcement.”

Such scams have been a statewide concern as of late, with Texas residents also receiving fraudulent letters claiming the state will seize their assets for unpaid taxes unless payment in received, according to state comptroller Glenn Hegar.

“Be incredibly wary whenever you receive unexpected messages like these, as they can be a trap. The criminals’ threats are designed to get you to react by calling the criminals’ phone number or clicking on a fake link to solve the problem. The consequences can be catastrophic,” a news release from the comptroller’s office said. If you receive an unexpected message of this type, do not respond in any fashion. Instead, call the Comptroller’s Collection Team at 800-252-8880.

Weatherford also wanted to remind residents about the scam phone calls reported in Tyler County that the majority do target the elderly in an attempt to confuse or scare them. “We strongly encourage family members to remind their elders that they should never give money or sensitive information over the phone to individuals claiming to be with a government entity,” he said.

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Wreck results in multiple fatalities

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STOCK PHOTOSTOCK PHOTO

By Chris Edwards
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ProulxProulxHARDIN COUNTY – A crash involving two motorcyles and an intoxicated driver in Hardin County resulted in multiple fatalities last Friday night.

According to Sgt. Shana Clark with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), preliminary crash investigation reports indicate that at approximately 6:25 p.m., a Saturn Ion, driven by 50-year-old Brenon  James Proulx, of Silsbee, was traveling west along FM 327, near Silsbee, and veered into the oncoming lane, striking two motorcyles that were eastbound.

The motorcyles, both Harley Davidsons, were a 2005 and a 2015 vintage, and the driver of the 2005 bike, James Means, a 39-year-old Spurger resident, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Clark.

The other motorcyclist, 37-year-old Allen Wesenberg, of Warren, was taken to Christus St. Elizabeth’s in Beaumont for treatment of life-threatening injuries, where he later succumbed. Both motorcycle drivers had passengers, a 7-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl. Both children were transported to a hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. Means’s passenger, later identified as his daughter Cicillia “CiCi” Means, died.

Proulx was taken into custody for intoxication manslaughter and given three counts of intoxication assault, all of which are felony offenses. He remains in the Hardin County Jail with bonds totaling $160,000.

Clark said the investigation into this wreck is ongoing and there is no additional information at this time.

In the wake of CiCi Means’s passing, Spurger ISD issued a statement about her, as she was a student at Spurger Junior High.

“As a district, we want to ensure that our students, teachers and staff will have access to the resources needed to navigate this emotional journey,” the statement read.

Spurger ISD will offer additional counseling services, as well as involve community youth pastors, who will be on campus to provide support for those needing it.

The district’s statement added that “it is moments like these that reveal the strength of our Pirate family.”

In addition to arrangements for the three victims through Riley Funeral Home of Woodville, there will be a celebration for them at Ray Ray’s Bar in Silsbee, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 9, from 6 p.m. until midnight, which will feature live music. The event has a $10 cover charge and all proceeds will go to Wesenberg’s family.

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DPS launches violent offender database

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Database

Special to the Booster

AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Public Safety has created a violent offender database now available to the public.

This new database launched on Dec. 29, 2023, officially going live ahead of its required Jan. 1 deadline.

The new database was created by House Bill 5202 during the regular session of the 88th Texas Legislature. This bill required DPS to create and maintain a public centralized database of offenders who have committed certain violent offenses, including those involving family violence.

DPS provides access to the website free of charge.

The Violent Offender Database contains information regarding offenders who, on two or more occasions, have been convicted of assault, sexual assault, aggravated assault or aggravated sexual assault involving family violence. This also includes offenders who have been convicted of continuous violence against the family, stalking or any combination of such offenses.

The database includes the offender’s full name, date of birth, a recent photograph and a physical description, or as much information as possible. It also includes a list of applicable offenses, the date of conviction, punishment and outcomes for each offense.

The department worked with the Texas Council on Family Violence on both the website design and language to ensure the site was easy to use and contained valuable information for those searching the site. To access the Violent Offender Database, visit the DPS website.

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