Here’s who’s running in the Democratic primary for Tarrant County Sheriff on March 5
Patrick Moses
Age: 60
Campaign website: https://mosesforsheriff.com/
Occupation: Retired Federal Law Enforcement Executive
Best way for voters to reach you: info@mosesforsheriff.com
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Master of Public Administration, Southern University A&M College; Master of Divinity, Doctor of Ministry. (completing the final practical project), Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University
Have you run for elected office before?: Yes, Texas 6th Congressional District
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Currently serving on Mansfield Citizen Planning Steering Committee (Mansfield 2040, Future Land Use Plan); Member, Mansfield Planning and Zoning Commission; President, Dover Heights Home Owners Association; Founding Member, Faith and Justice Coalition of Tarrant County; Life Member, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Nu Pi Lambda Chapter; Life Member, Southern University Alumni Association; Member, International Association of Chiefs of Police; Member, Baptist Ministers Union; former president, North Texas Chapter, American Society for Public Administration; past member, United Community Centers Board of Directors, the Lena Pope Home Board of Directors; past member, treasurer, vice president, and president, Tarrant Area Food Bank; former chair, Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex Combined Federal Campaign; and former vice chair and chair, the Dallas Fort Federal Executive Board
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain: No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain: No
Who are your top three campaign contributors?: Mr. Domingo Garcia, Ms. Katherine Godby, and Ms. S. LaVonne Cockerell
Why are you running for this seat?: I am offering the people of Tarrant County my executive leadership experience in seeking the Office of Sheriff, the chief peace officer for the county. The constitutional role of the Sheriff is less about partisan politics and personal ambition; it is about executive leadership. Over thirty years, I served in progressively responsible leadership positions, managing multi-million-dollar budgets and leading law enforcement officers, criminal investigators, business professionals, and contractors in executing our core mission. Tarrant County needs an accomplished leader who focuses on keeping the people safe and is committed to accountability and trustworthiness.
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent?: Executive leadership. My prior multi-geographic federal law enforcement leadership experience makes me uniquely qualified to create a culture of accountability and trustworthiness to keep the people of Tarrant County safe, including those in custody.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?: 1) The disturbing number of people who are dying in the Tarrant County jail, including a newborn baby; 2) Broken comprehensive care for vulnerable people; and 3) The incarceration of Class C misdemeanors offenders, whose maximum punishable is $500 and do not pose a public safety risk, and their incarceration has the unattended consequence of overcrowding and understaffing.
How do you plan to work with the Commissioners court?: During my federal executive career, I routinely engaged in interagency collaboration, which entailed partnering with elected officials, political appointees, and career executives in executing my former agency’s core mission. I will leverage that extensive experience to collaborate with the Commissioners Court in keeping Tarrant County safe.
What do you hope to accomplish during your term?: I hope to create accountability and improve trust between the people of Tarrant County and the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. As I begin with the end in mind, I want to create a culture where the members of the community and professionals agree that the only deaths occurring in the Tarrant County Jail are from natural causes.
How do you plan to deal with the rising number of deaths at the Tarrant County jail?: Accountability. Trustworthiness. Leadership. Those three words sum up the immediate changes I would make to keep the people of Tarrant County safe. Instead of chasing the conspiracy-inspired ghost of voter fraud and other divisive political agendas, I will focus on the constitutional duties of the county’s chief peace officer, which chiefly includes ensuring access to basic needs while in the custody of the Tarrant County Jail. To be sure, I will create a county-wide, community-centered Citizen Review Commission to serve as an independent, transparent function to review all use-of-force actions and in-custody deaths. In the first 100 days, I will shepherd a robust review of the office’s practices, policies, and procedures, including how those activities impact or improve public safety in Tarrant County. In addition, the review will identify how the Sheriff’s role of chasing the ghost of voter fraud instead of caring for people in custody impacts the people of Tarrant County.
Because of overcrowding, the county sends inmates to a private jail in Garza County. Do you see this as a permanent solution? Or should the county look for alternatives?: In 2023, upward of 1,300 people accused of a Class misdemeanor lingered in Tarrant County Jail, a crime punishable by a fine not to exceed $500. Why are we spending taxpayer-limited funds to incarcerate them and contract with a “for-profit,” private prison in Garza County to alleviate overcrowding and understaffing? The privatized prison is not a permanent solution: a Tarrant County prisoner died in the Garza County facility. In December 2023, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards placed the Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility in noncompliance for medical neglect and other violations. Our public safety priorities fail to align with prudent policing and financial oversight. We will create alternatives to incarcerating certain offenders, such as those experiencing mental health crises and low-level drug offenses, while ensuring that appropriate offenders remain in custody in a safe environment. We will develop strategic partnerships with community-level providers, including community supervision, and maximize divergent courts for mental health and low-level offenders.
What is the biggest issue facing the sheriff’s office in your opinion and how do you plan to address it?: In addition to the significant number of in-custody deaths because of the current administration’s neglect of duty, lack of accountability, and no public trust, the next greatest public safety concern for our county is the mental health crisis, which results in daily criminal trespass arrests of homeless people. As a collaborative leader, I will partner with law enforcement officials, community leaders, and social service providers to eradicate our mental health crisis. To address the in-custody deaths, I will ask people from across Tarrant County, representing various sectors of our vibrant community to review all use-of-force actions and in-custody deaths. Also, I will conduct a robust, comprehensive review of the practices, procedures, and policies within the first 100 days of taking the oath of office to keep the people of Tarrant County safe. My thorough review will include the impact of 287g on our community. Further, as a people-centered leader, on day one, I will ask for the Sheriff’s Office professionals to tell me “what works” and “what needs improvement” for us to perform our constitutional duty as the county’s chief law enforcement officer (chief peace officer).
How will you measure your success in this position?: On an annual basis, I will ask the people of Tarrant County to identify their priority concerns for the year and identify any gaps in service. Every quarter at precinct-level town hall meetings, we will obtain objective feedback using a survey instrument to determine our success and how to pivot and address urgent community topics. Public safety is the ultimate measure of success; I want to know if we are keeping the people of Tarrant County safe and those in custody from dying from neglect.
Indya Murray
Age: 37
Campaign website: none
Occupation: Police Officer
Best way for voters to reach you: www.facebook.com/murrayforsheriff
Education: Doctoral Candidate in Business Administration specializing in Human Resource Management, Master’s degree in Criminal Justice specializing in Criminal Investigations; Bachelor’s degree in Sociology.
Have you run for elected office before?: No
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Coordinating POAF Dining for Heroes event, Faith & Blue event, Facilitating Business Crime Prevention Coalition Meetings, Dog Walker Watch program, National Night Out, Executive Board Member of North Texas Crime Prevention Association- 1st VP of Training
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain: No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain: Yes-civil suit for financial dispute, but no judgments ordered. yes- I declared personal bankruptcy for medical reasons.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?: Rev. Ralph Emerson, Charles Garner, Kathryn Hansen, Suzanne Shady and Darline Polynice
Why are you running for this seat?: There are serious issues facing the Sheriff’s department including 60 in-custody deaths, staffing shortages, low morale, and failed jail inspections. Tarrant County deserves a steward who seeks to be an effective leader with a dedication to prioritizing transparency and imparting accountability measures.
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent?: I bring a new approach to law enforcement that promotes innovative ideas and openminded about change if the vision and purpose is no longer being served. I have a forward-thinking perspective which steers away from the antiquated methods of traditional policing. I have a community-based perspective of utilizing community partnerships and solution-oriented strategies to address public safety issues in a proactive way.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?: The three biggest issues in this race are the in-custody deaths, systemic indifference, and mental health individuals in the jail instead of the diversion program.
How do you plan to work with the Commissioners court?: Working with the Commissioners court will be beneficial to gaining a consensus on the best interests of constituents.
What do you hope to accomplish during your term?: I hope to implement systems that will interrupt the current culture and prioritize transparency, accountability, and impartiality for everyone. I hope to affect change in a way that we are able to gain the trust of the community.
How do you plan to deal with the rising number of deaths at the Tarrant County jail?: Prioritizing transparency and imparting accountability measures to the highest standards are necessary to promote justice and protect everyone. Allowing clinics and doctors to be accessible for immediate care in the jails would be a start in promoting justice and protecting rights. Expanding the diversion program to help those who need mental health resources will help divert individuals to the proper channels for treatment.
Because of overcrowding, the county sends inmates to a private jail in Garza County. Do you see this as a permanent solution? Or should the county look for alternatives?: No, I do not see this as a permanent solution. Based on the non-compliance of the jail standards, the commissioners should have leverage to end the contract with the private jail in Garza County.
What is the biggest issue facing the sheriff’s office in your opinion and how do you plan to address it?: The biggest issues facing the sheriff’s office are with the in-custody deaths, overpopulation, individuals suffering from mental health illnesses sitting in jail instead of receiving treatment, inmates in jail over 90 days for under five hundred dollars, understaffing, turnover, and low morale. There need to be a complete overhaul of the correctional system of the county. Re-examining the policies, standards, and procedures to change the internal organizational culture and addressing the misconducts. I plan to be a fiduciary of the funds to avoid the unnecessary overspending. I plan to ensure that the laws, protocol, and processes are being followed in the Sheriff’s office while also ensuring accountability measures are upheld. Allowing clinics and doctors to be accessible for immediate healthcare needs in the jail would be a start in protecting inmate’s well-being. I plan to implement a system to ensure individuals who do not belong in the jail is diverted to the diversion program for appropriate treatment. I plan to collaborate with organizations to ensure mental health resources are available to address the mental health illnesses and public safety concerns. Improving the organizational culture and hiring competent individuals will attract the people who desire to be a part of an organization of change and help to retain individuals who are great contributors to the Sheriff’s office.
How will you measure your success in this position?: Success is measured when we are able to make some positive changes in the right direction.
