Married name?
Hmmmm, condition that must cooperate with ICE ... not sure what to do .... yes, complicated ..... hmmmm ....
Posted on 02/16/2018 4:39:16 PM PST by WestTexasWend
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County Sheriff’s Office deputies do not have rifle-resistance vests because Sheriff Sally Hernandez will not commit to hold all arrested undocumented immigrants for deportation.
In January, Governor Abbott announced the state would fund $23 million in grants to purchase 33,000 vests for more than 450 law enforcement departments. Every agency that applied for vests received them. Travis County did not apply for the grant because one condition from the governor’s office required the agency to “sign a letter confirming compliance with ICE detainer requests both now and during the grant term of at least one year,” according to Travis County Commissioner’s Court records.
The deadline to apply for the vests was Sept. 6, 2017, and Travis County officials were still thinking of applying days before the deadline.
On Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, county staff presented a grant summary sheet to the Commissioners Court. According to county documents, project manager Valerie Hollier planned on asking for a state grant of approximately $240,000, enough for more than 200 rifle-resistant vests.
“It is anticipated the number of fatal shootings will be reduced by equipping more officers with type III & IV body armor,” according to the recommendations.
However, county staff wrote to commissioners that the county wouldn’t apply and didn’t qualify because Sheriff Hernandez would not sign a letter committing to hold arrested undocumented immigrants for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Staff wrote Hernandez wanted to wait until the outcome of Senate Bill 4 was decided.
Lawmakers passed SB 4 in the spring of 2017. The law requires county sheriffs to honor ICE detainers or hold arrested people in jail until federal immigration officials pick them up for possible deportation. Opponents of the law sued the state and the case is currently awaiting a ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Both sides are expected to take the case to the United States Supreme Court afterward.
According to county documents, “If SB 4 is upheld, the Sheriff has stated that she would sign the letter and the grant would be submitted.” However, if the law is struck down or no action is taken, then the sheriff will not sign the letter.
Signing the letter also gives Abbott’s office “sole discretion” over approving the grants. The required letter and certification are laid out on Abbott’s website.
However, the governor’s office can require agencies to honor ICE detainers whether SB 4 is upheld or not. In short, the grants are from the governor’s office and Abbott can decide what the requirements are to apply.
A spokesperson from the sheriff’s office says Hernandez is complying with SB 4 but has no plans on signing the letter. If SB 4 is struck down in the future, they will revert to their old policy and only hold people arrested for very violent crimes.
Hernandez’s office declined to make her available for an interview or add anything to the documents available to the public.
KXAN reached out to the four county commissioners and Judge Sarah Eckhart to comment for this story. A spokesperson for them declined. Judge Eckhart would also have to sign on to honoring all ICE detainers to receive state grant money.
Currently, Travis County deputies do have bulletproof vests to protect against low-caliber bullets.
The money for rifle-resistant vests came about after a deadly night in Dallas. Several Dallas police officers were killed in the line of duty while they protected a Black Lives Matter march in 2016. In the 2017 legislative session, state lawmakers unanimously approved Senate Bill 12, a $25 million program to help police departments pay for protective vests.
KXAN reached out to Gov. Abbott’s office for a comment but has not heard back.
So now this Sheriff is putting illegal aliens above her own deputies.
It’s one thing to put them above the citizens, but now they are putting above their own employees safety.
If one of the deputies should get injured, it’s blood on this lesbian liberal’s hands and she should get prison time.
Maybe she’s just on her period and will change her mind in a few days.
Dang, she fell out of the ugly tree, hit every branch on the way down, and then climbed back to the top and did it all over again. And it is that hideous liberal ugly of a warped soul.
Personally, if it was my life on the line, I’d buy my own damn vest, and be sure it was the best available, rather than from the low bidder (or designated minority set-aside)
Blood on the sheriff’s hands if any deputy injured because of her illegality.
One look at that, and I’d be scared straight.
What is it with Leftist leaning women?
Sorry Travis County. Pony up the funds.
They have to budget accordingly. Federal grants are grants, and not an annual privilege. The revoking of grants is to punish them. They know it, they have to comply or live with it. Let each officer buy their own body armor.
Personally, if I were a deputy in that department, I’d go find another department to work in. Leadership not only has demonstrated that they don’t care if you die, they put illegals over you. You cannot count on them to not backstab you if politically or personally convenient - so you really don’t want to work there.
Any smart Travis County deputies should be quitting about now...
I’d invest in both companies!!!
Why is it that every woman elected to be Sheriff/Police Chief has been a total failure?
maybe someone can point to one that actually has credentials for the job and applies them, but I can’t come up with one off the top of my head.
Me too, but that makes too much sense. I have bought several items for my work. Got tired of waiting for the approval, so I got them myself.
I didn’t do it for the job. I did it to make my life easier at work.
I hope Sheriff Sally Hernandez meets up with an MS13 gang wielding chain saws.
“Several Dallas police officers were killed...” Why don’t they put the right number, 5? Or would that go against their agenda?
Doing this was ABSOLUTELY OKEY-DOKEYwhen Carter made states go to a 55mph speed limit and 21/0.8 BAC alcohol limits.
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