Friday, August 10, 2012

Flack over TDCJ's tracking dogs used to hunt illegal aliens coming to a head



By Max Rodriguez, Backgate Website

A story and photo posted in the Victoria Advocate newspaper this week of a TDCJ Officer on horseback assisting DPS in a search for suspected illegal aliens just south of Goliad has risen some eyebrows. The Advocate reports that  TDCJ was called in by the DPS to assist in the search by using it's scent dogs to track the group who bailed out of a vehicle that was later found to have stolen plates. Some bloggers out there, along with some Texas tax payers take issue with that. They say it's not the place of TDCJ to assist in gathering up illegals.

TDCJ policy allows local jurisdictions and state law enforcement to solicit assistance where necessary from the TDCJ. It just takes a phone call for approval from the closest Regional Director's office. That being Region IV Director Eileen Kennedy in this particular case. The Advocate story provided an area where public comments were allowed. Below is a comment taken from that area;

"I am one of the landowners that the prison guards with horses and dogs rode on. When I got home today, I noticed our horses not coming to feed. We searched and found our new fence cut. All five strands cut. I didnt mind them on my land looking, I am mad that No One told me they cut my fence. Between all deputies and other law officials and with Goliad being a town where everyone knows you, no note,no phone call...nothing. My husband even talked to a deputy who was sitting on the side of the road. I called sherrif dept and deputies on call were eating and they took my number. I never recieved a phone call back. So here I had lost horses, mosquitos attacking while mending fence and a phone that didnt ring! I find this just pathetic."

-Jenny Johnson-Lassman

What are your thoughts ? Is this moral ? Is it ethical on the agencies part ?

 Click Here! for the Advocate Story and photos !

11 comments:

  1. It's moral, it's ethical and it's the right thing to do. Citizens deserves to have criminals tracked down and prosecuted.

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  2. I'd be pissed too. That's B.S. You think if that was one of those deputies' or CO's land they would cut their own fence w/o repairing it? You gotta do right. It might be different if they were tracking known desperate killers... but even then, tell someone about it.

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    1. I agree, they should have let the land owner know. They are right to use them for that purpose

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  3. How do they know it wasn't one of the guys being tracked who cut the fence?? You know, criminals do stupid stuff like destroy property when they are cornered and desperate.

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    1. A bunch of illegals on foot aren't going to cut a fence- they'd just go through it. A man on a horse would cut a fence.

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  4. While chasing bad guys it isn't always so easy to stop and tell landowners what's going on. I apologize for the agency concerning any damage to your property but trying to save lives sometimes causes havock with the law abiding citizens. There was no intentional or personal attack on you. Please blame the bad guys not TDCJ.

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    1. They were chasing illegals. You make it sound like they were hunting down a mad scientist about to let loose the plague upon Goliad. I'm sure the ranch owners appreciate you stepping up and apologizing for TDCJ like that. Probably means the world to them, hunh?

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  5. Seashores says that Shit happens.....They didn't know they were illegals till they were caught. If you don't take chase because you think they are illegal, that's the same as profiling. They ran from the law and that is a crime....illegal alien or not.
    On another note, as the person above said. It isn't always possible to notify the land owner during a chase. We don't know all the details.

    Our dogs are a great asset for law enforcement. We must assist them as they are our only assistance w/any authority when we have an escape.

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    1. It doesn't matter if they had time to contact the land owners during the chase. It does matter that they did not repair the fence, or at least contact the land owner afterwards.

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  6. Some people act as if illegals do nothing wrong but cross the border. I have had horses stolen, my house broken into, a truck stolen,fences cut and my land trampled....all by illegals. I know they were illegals because they were caught every time. There are many of them that are not here to find work and a safe home. So Im all for TDCJ allowing their dogs to search for illegals,anytime.

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  7. Is it possible that the illegals cut his fence?

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