KAUFMAN, Texas — Kaufman County commissioners voted 4-1 during their February 13 meeting to again table a contract that would allow Precinct 2 Constable Jason Johnson and his office to enter into a private security agreement with the Devonshire community.
KAUFMAN, Texas — Kaufman County commissioners voted 4-1 during their February 13 meeting to again table a contract that would allow Precinct 2 Constable Jason Johnson and his office to enter into a private security agreement with the Devonshire community.
Presented by Precinct 2 Constable Sergeant Jerry Kitchens, the proposal was first brought before commissioners on February 6. Under the proposal, residents of Devonshire would be responsible for paying for the salary and benefits of 30-hour position in exchange for a dedicated patrol for the 1,200-home community located outside the Forney city limits.
Kitchens says the Constable’s office would be responsible for low priority calls in the neighborhood, cutting down on response time and freeing up resources from Kaufman County Sheriff’s office, who is charged with responding to the area currently. The agreement valued at $63,000 would be like those contracts already in place with the Windmill Farms community.
At the February 6 meeting, Precinct 3 commissioner, Terry Barber said he was not comfortable with the agreement.
“I just don’t like the idea of the county being in the private security business,” Commissioner Barber said.
County Judge Hal Richards said at the February 13 meeting it was important for that commissioners to make note that the people of the Devonshire community are asking for additional for law enforcement protection and they’re willing to pay for it. He says that it is important that people realize that if they want additional services, they will have to pay for it, just like those that live inside the city pay city taxes for their services.
“Everyone recognizes the need that they have to not only be safe, but feel safe,” Richards said. “We are rapidly going to be urbanized all over this county, and the trajectory that we are on right now, I could see that we could end up with five police departments in Kaufman County. The sheriff’s department and four constable’s police departments. I think that’s risky.”
Precinct 4 Constable Ken Cates echoed the county judge’s sentiments saying that the county’s demographics are changing, and precinct boundaries might change, leaving these contracts void in the future.
“As the county continues to grow and urbanize, the potential for additional contracts looms large,” Commissioner Cates said. “There is every expectation that the MUDs will continue to request contracts in addition to the one before us today or the ones that exist. Precinct lines will be redrawn. So, the potential exists that these contracts will be voided by the fact that a particular MUD district may or may not stay in a particular precinct depending on how those lines are drawn.”
The commissioners decided to table the decision until further discussion with the county’s auditor, human resources and the district attorney’s office civil attorneys could be had. Commissioner’s will discuss the issue again at the next meeting scheduled for February 27.
