Tarrant County needs sheriff with urgent focus on jail. Here’s our endorsement | Opinion
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, and specifically the jail it operates, needs a hands-on manager, a leader who understands how to fix faulty processes and motivate employees.
It’s not as alluring as a candidate running on border security and general crime-fighting. These are also important issues, but they pale in comparison to the ongoing crisis of deaths and mismanagement of the sheriff’s biggest responsibility.
County voters have a chance to elect a candidate with the experience and perspective needed to improve the jail. We recommend they go with Democrat Patrick Moses over incumbent Republican Bill E. Waybourn.
Moses, 60, had a long and distinguished career in federal law enforcement and a stint as a U.S. Army Reserve officer. He is running with a focus on the jail and the other core functions of the sheriff’s office, including law enforcement in unincorporated areas. Unlike Waybourn, he is not tied up in national partisan politics.
In an interview, Moses, who is pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, outlined a plan to work with local police departments to reduce the jail population, including new ways to ensure that low-level offenders get mental health help if needed. He also wants to improve morale among jailers and other employees, which he said he believes is at a dangerous low. Moses said the key is to provide better opportunities for training and advancement, including into leadership positions.
Improving work conditions would reduce turnover, putting less burden on recruitment. But there, Moses also has a plan to start a high school recruitment program for teenagers interested in law enforcement careers.
The jail has seen more than 60 inmate deaths in Waybourn’s two terms. And while many were medically fragile individuals, the case of Anthony Johnson Jr. revealed training and leadership inadequacies that Waybourn, whose campaign did not respond to our interview request, has had ample time to address. As Moses notes, it’s not a fiscally conservative approach to have to pay lawyers and high-dollar settlements in jail death cases. Investment on the front end will save money in the end.
Moses has the experience and focus to succeed where Waybourn has failed.
Early voting begins Oct. 21. It’s available at any county polling place through Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 5. The sheriff is elected to a four-year term.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bradford William Davis, columnist and editorial writer; Bud Kennedy, columnist; and Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 5:25 AM.