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Jun 30, 2009 9:37 pm US/Central
A New Breed Of County Constables In Texas
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
From busting kilos of cocaine to rounding up mounds of marijuana, today's Texas constable is not your father's constable.
In 2008, Dallas County deputy constables were told to start tracking down dangerous criminals. So, they got themselves a SWAT team. "Resources are feeling the pressures of the time, and we're being asked to assist in areas of traffic, warrant enforcement and felony warrants," Chief Deputy Craig McKnight with the Dallas County Constable's Office told CBS 11 News.
Up until a few years ago, constables served mostly civil papers and minor warrants. But budget cuts have changed that. For example, the Dallas County Sheriff's Department is being asked to do more with less. So, sheriff deputies are turning to their fellow deputy constables for support in the field.
"We carry the same credentials as any peace officer in the State of Texas," said McKnight. "We have the same training, the same schooling, and we carry the same license."
The Constable's Office said that even the Dallas Police Department has been asking for help with traffic enforcement. That might explain why constables are becoming more involved in high-speed chases like the one on Monday afternoon.
Dallas County has elected constables in five precincts, served by 230 deputy constables. So, if they are basically the same job as sheriff deputies, is the county unnecessarily doubling its efforts? Dallas County judge Jim Foster says a booming population proves otherwise. "When Dallas County was a lot smaller, we saw a lot less constables," explained Foster. "As it continues to grow, you will see more and more deputy constables out in the field."
Constables in Texas date back 175 years and, according to state constitutional law, every county must have at least one to ensure that an elected official serves the people's law enforcement needs.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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