Cop Watch: Will Anyone Ever Investigate Dallas County Constables for Precincts 1 and 5?

Boy, is the Dallas Morning News all over this story. 

Last Tuesday, the Morning News printed an editorial asking that County Judge Jim Foster go forward and investigate his suspicions regarding the towing polices of Dallas County.

Today, the Morning News has a new editorial, asking that District Attorney Craig Watkins investigate what’s going on with the Dallas County Constables in Precincts 1 and 5 — not only these towing policies, but other stuff, as well. 

Constables and The Towing Service Controversy

Seems Dallas County Judge Foster has discovered some curious things about the Dallas County Constables and what looks to be single, sole towing contract between Dallas County Constables Derick Evans and Jaime Cortes and Dowdy Ferry Auto Services.  (Dowdy Ferry does towing and salvage here in Dallas.)

So far, it’s known that these two County Constables (Precincts 1 and 5, in the southern part of Dallas) not only have a suspicious deal with a single towing service, the numbers reveal that these two precincts are towing more cars than some cities in the area (like Richardson, for example). 

The Paper Car Tags Issue

Another curious thing over in Precincts 1 and 5.  Lots of folk are driving cars with those temporary paper tags on them.  Lots of them, and for long periods of time.  Now, it’s not illegal to drive with a paper tag … you can renew them … but you gotta wonder why.  The Dallas Morning News has already pointed out that with a paper tag, you don’t have to pay any tolls because the paper tag numbers aren’t in the state database.

Who are These Constables?

Dallas County Constables serve a specific precinct in our area, and the two that are under suspicion right now are Precincts 1 and 5, where Derick Evans and Jaime Cortes have been elected to protect and serve those areas as constables.  County Constables do many things.  They serve warrants, they can arrest people, and they can ticket vehicles and tow them away if the driver can’t show valid proof of insurance and the like.

DA Watkins Has to Act Here

According to the Morning News, the County Commissioners have formally requested THREE times already that our famous Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins investigate both the towing business and the paper tags – as well as any other fishy business over in Precincts 1 and 5. 

Craig Watkins hasn’t said squat. 

And this would be fine — IF the ball weren’t setting smack dab in his court.  Under state law, NO law enforcement agency in the State of Texas — not even the Attorney General himself — can legally step in here unless and until our celebrity DA Craig Watkins officially invites them to the party. 

Watkins has to do something – one has to wonder if his silence, perhaps, is communicating something?  You’d think that the DA would respond to the THIRD request from the County Commissioners, even if he’d ignored the first two. 

Meanwhile, some investigation is going on … the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is looking into the Dowdy Ferry operations.