Interim Wortham Police Chief’s Letter to FCSO Sheriff

Sheriff Shipley:

This letter is intended to address the overcrowding issue at the Freestone County Jail and law enforcement officers not being able to affect legitimate arrest.

This is a huge concern because the arrest of violent offenders has been denied by jail personnel. It is also a concern that most misdemeanors, drug arrests, and parole violation arrests are not being accepted at the jail. It becomes a problem when illegal immigrants to our county are found transporting narcotics and committing other crimes and are not being accepted at the jail.

If these criminals were accepted at the jail, they would be fingerprinted and their status in our country would be verified. Once verified that they are here illegally, an immigration and customs hold would be placed on them and would be detained for removal proceedings.

As you know, studies have shown that the arrest of misdemeanor and nonviolent felony offenses aid in the prevention of criminals committing more serious felony offenses in the future. By not making these arrests enables and may even encourage offenders to continue to commit crimes when they see that there are no consequences for their actions.

One recent incident was a felony arrest out of Dallas County for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. The suspect, staying in Streetman, admitted to officers that she had shot her previous boyfriend and left him for dead. She also admitted that she had been hiding out in Streetman since the incident attempting to avoid being arrested.
Once dispatch confirmed the Dallas County warrant, the subject was taken into custody and transported by Wortham Police officers to the Freestone County Jail, where the suspect was denied at the jail. In good conscience, we could not allow this violent offender to walk free so she was then transported to the Dallas County Jail by my officer.

Another incident was the assault of two paramedics from Fairfield EMS, who were transporting a patient that attempted to stab them with a knife. The two medics were able to disarm the subject, during what they felt was a life-or-death struggle for the knife. The incident in the back of the ambulance was caught on video and clearly showed the struggle.
Two felony arrest warrants were issued for his arrest, and he was also refused at the jail. He was later allowed to make arrangements for bail, then turned himself in.

I have been told that no other jails in our area will accept our prisoners and that all the jails are full. I have spoken with Navarro County Sheriff Elmer Tanner, and he has assured me that they have numerous beds available, ninety to be exact, and would be more than willing to negotiate a contract with Freestone County to house our prisoners.

I feel it is important for the law enforcement officers in Freestone County to be able to do their jobs and make legitimate arrests when necessary. Not just because it is our job, but also because it is our sworn duty to enforce the laws of our state, keep drugs off our streets and our of the hands of our kids, and keep the public safe by making arrests on those that violate the law. These concerns are not only those of the Wortham Police Department, but those of ever law enforcement agency in Freestone County.

Thank you for your time reading this letter and I look forward to hearing from you about your plans to address the situation.

Thank you,
Kelly Craig
Interim Police Chief
Wortham Police Department

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