DALLAS COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

FEBRUARY 2012

Volume 12 Number 1 Behind The

BADGE

Inside this issue: 2012 Great Texas

Warrant Round-Up

Sheriff History — Trinity River Massacre

Former Sheriff Clarence Jones passes away at 89

Former Sheriff Don Byrd passes away at 84

Parkland Reason for Celebration

Featurette: TDC Desk

Retirements

FROM THE SHERIFF

On February 25, 2012, having unpaid traffic warrants could have landed you in jail. PAY UP! or GET LOCKED UP! was this winter’s warrant round-up pro-gram being conducted by Dallas County, and the cities of Dallas, Balch Springs, Desoto, Irving, Lancaster, and Mckinney to collect unpaid traffic tick-ets. The campaign ran in conjunction with the 2012 Great Texas Warrant Round Up. Two hundred and sixty law enforcement agencies throughout Texas joined forces to serve warrants and arrest those who had ignored prior warnings to pay or settle their citations. Citizens with outstanding warrants were encouraged to pay their unpaid citations or visit the JP Precinct or Mu-nicipal Court Building from which the citation was issued to pay in person.

Disregarding an outstanding warrant can be both costly and embarrassing for those involved.

“DON’T RISK GOING TO JAIL! PAY YOUR TRAFFIC TICKETS!”

OFFICERS FROM ALL OVER TEXAS GATHERED TOGETHER FOR THE 2012 GREAT TEXAS WARRANT ROUND-UP!

As we get into 2012, the Sheriff’s Department has hit the ground running with new pro-jects and plans to advance the Sheriff’s Department and move forward into the future. I look forward to the Sheriff’s Department once again setting the example for others to follow and working with people who are committed to serve professionally and consis-tently. - Sheriff Lupe ValdezSheriff Lupe Valdez

NOTICE

The Dallas County Sher-iff’s Department Person-nel Section has relocated to 505 Main St., Suite #101, Dallas, Texas.

Volume 12 Number 1 Page 2

SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT HISTORY

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Former Dallas County Sheriff CLARENCE “MITCH” JONES, dies at 89

Former Dallas County Sheriff Clarence “Mitch” Jones, passed away due to congestive heart failure on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at Hopkins County Memorial Hospital. Mr. Jones was Dallas County’s 31st Sheriff.

Before joining the Sheriff’s Department, Jones served in the United States Army Air Corp during World War II. He was a graduate of the F.B.I. Acad-emy. Jones, a deputy since 1957, was appointed as the Dallas Sheriff in 1971 to replace Bill Decker at a special meeting of the Commissioners Court and immediately had to gear up a campaign to hold the job in the next election. Mr. Jones, campaigning on the theme of maintaining the office “in the tradition of Bill Decker” handily defeated his Republican challenger.

Jones had been in office less than seven months when an unimaginable event struck the Sheriff’s Department. The press would dub it “Black Mon-day” while others called it “The Trinity River Massacre”. On the evening of February 15, 1971 plainclothes Sheriff’s Deputies Samuel Garcia Infante, 32, and William Don Reese, 31, and A.J. Robertson, 55, a deputy from Ellis

County, were executed by two gunmen on the Trinity River banks in West Dallas near Westmoreland.

Two others would survive to describe the grisly executions. Dallas County Deputy A.D. McCurley eluded the gunfire by flinging himself over an embankment. Ellis County Deputy Wendell Dover, 49, recovered from a chest wound.

The two assailants were tried and convicted at their trial in the Bell County Courthouse in Belton. Each was sentenced to serve four life terms – stacked.

The year would not end before the Dallas County Jail had experienced its worst riot. Five hundred inmates rampaged for three hours before deputies, joined by Dallas Police officers, quelled the uprising. Although there had been pitched, hand-to-hand combat, miraculously, no one was killed. But damage to the jail was extensive.

In 1976, the incumbent Sheriff Jones was defeated by Republican Carl Thomas.

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“TRINITY RIVER MASSACRE” In February 1971, The Dallas Headlines were full of stories of one of the largest manhunts in Texas history in search for an ex-convict in connection with the kidnap-slaying of three Dep-uty Sheriffs. Five deputies had been kidnapped on Monday Feb, 15, 1971, three of them killed, one wounded and a fifth escaped unharmed in a rain of bullets.

“It was a needless killing….an execution,” said former Dallas County Sheriff Clarence Jones. The manhunt was for Rene Adolpho Guzman, 33, and an accomplice charged with murdering the slain deputies.

The dead officers were William D. Reese, 31; Samuel Infante, 32, both Dallas County Depu-ties, and A.J. Robertson, 59, an Ellis County Deputy. Dallas Deputy A.D. McCurley had es-caped harm while Ellis County Deputy Wednell Dover received gunshot wounds in the chest.

The gunman Guzman, had a lengthy arrest and prison record that dated back to 1959. Texas law enforcement officers had established a dragnet along the Texas-Mexican Border by officers who thought that Guzman might have been trying to flee to Mexico. Deputy McCurley stated that the killings occurred this way.

Deputy Infante had accompanied Deputy Dover and Deputy Robertson to a West Dallas ad-dress to investigate a burglary which had occurred in Ellis County. The officers carried an arrest warrant and were admitted into the house by two men. Later, they called the Sheriff’s Office and asked for an another form pertaining to a search of the home. Deputy McCurley and Deputy Reese brought the form. “There was nothing suspicious when we arrived,” Deputy McCurley said. They knocked on the door and a voice said, “Come in.” The officers stepped inside and saw the three other officers bound to chairs. Deputy McCurley and Deputy Reese were overpowered and secured by the two gun men.

The gunmen forced all five deputies into one of their squad cars and ordered them to drive to the Trinity River Bottoms. “Deputy Infante tried ramming passenger cars three times, but each time one of the men shoved a gun in his stomach,” Deputy McCurley said.

Much of the abductor’s conversation was in Spanish, understood only by Deputy Infante and the gunmen. When they reached the Trinity River Bottoms, Deputy Infante turned to his fellow officers and said “This is it. They’re going to kill us now.” Deputy Reese pleaded: “There is no reason to kill us now, you have our guns.”

“No. You can identify us.” said one gunman. Deputy Reese tried to punch one of the gunman who carried two pistols and missed. The gunman opened fire and Deputy Reese fell to the ground. Deputy McCurley dived over an embankment. Bullets and screams ripped the air. “I could hear hollering and shooting up above,” he said. Deputy McCurley fought his way through the underbrush to a highway where a motorist picked him up and took him to a service station. “I called the police and borrowed the attendant’s .32 derringer,” he said.

Deputy McCurley went back to the murder scene but it was too late. He found Deputy Dover, wounded and in shock, stumbling through the brush. He found the other three Deputies dead.

In one of the largest manhunts in Dallas County history, the killers were captured hiding in an East Dallas rooming house at 4627 San Jacinto. The assailants were convicted and sentenced to four life terms.

Today, the Deputy Memorial stands in tribute to not only those Deputies that lost their lives that day but the 19 Dallas County Sheriff’s Deputies who paid the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives ser-vice of Dallas County.

SAMUEL INFANTE

WILLIAM REESE

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Once an inmate has been sentenced, it is up to the section commonly known within the Sheriff’s Department as the TDC Desk to get them ready to go to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) They are the section that process the paperwork needed to get sentenced felons to the TDCJ. The TDC Desk process the inmate paperwork whether they are sentenced to State Jail or the Institutional Division of TDCJ.

Here is how it works: Each felony case is called a judgement once an inmate is sentenced. THE TDC Desk processes these judgements. Once all judgements for an inmate are received by the TDC Desk then the in-mate is “paper-ready”. A list of “paper-ready” inmates is sent to TDCJ in Huntsville each week. Several times a week, when TDCJ has beds available, TDCJ will send the Sheriff’s Department a chain list of inmates that are scheduled to go to TDCJ. The TDC Desk processes the chain list, and pulls the inmate jackets (information file) and hands the chain lists and jackets to the 1st Watch Data management Unit Release Sec-tion. The chain list is also provided to the 3rd Watch Vault Section personnel. The TDC Desk then coordi-nates the transport schedule for inmates going to TDCJ. For the calendar year 2011, the TDC Desk proc-essed 14, 240 judgements, made 6,330 inmates “paper-ready” and sent 6,481 inmates to TDCJ.

In addition, the TDC Desk processes chain lists for inmates going and Intermediate Sanction Facility (ISF) and inmates scheduled to a Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility (SAFPF). Paperwork is proc-essed by Parole for inmates going to ISF and the Probation Department process the paperwork for inmates going to a SAFPF facility. For calendar 2011, the TDC Desk sent 967 ISF inmates and 946 SAFPF inmates to TDCJ.

The TDC Desk accomplishes these feats by using a staff of one senior sergeant, one clerk 7 and four clerk 6. Ms. Gibson is a clerk 8 and she is responsible for monitoring bench warrants (inmates in jail from TDCJ) and inmates with parole holds. Ms. Gibson also trains the clerk 6’s. Ms. Hughes, Ms Johnson, Ms Thompson and Ms. Vanzant are all clerk 6 and are responsible for processing judgements, making inmates “paper-ready”, and processing chain lists. The TDC Desk recently added Ms. Cox on Feb 2, 2012. She will com-plete all medical forms for TDCJ bound inmates and train on processing judgements, making inmates paper-ready, and chain lists.

~ DALLAS SHERIFF’S TDC DESK ~

TDC DESK STAFF

The TDC Desk is part of the Sheriff’s Depart-ment Release Section. Pictured to the right: Sgt. Temple. Ms. Gib-son, Ms. Cox, Ms. Hughes, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Thompson and Ms. Vanzant.

Volume 12 Number 1 Page 5

November 4, 2011 was a remarkable day in the life of the Dallas County Jail. The Department of Justice and Dallas County filed a petition to terminate the agreement that was entered into in November 2007. This was of course the “Consent Decree” that Dallas County, The Sheriff’s Department and Parkland Jail Health and Hospital System had been striving to fulfill since March 1, 2006. The Federal Court agreed with the petition and ordered the case dismissed.

The achievement could not have been reached without the hard work and dedication from the employees of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, Parkland Jail Health and Hospital System, the Commissioner’s Court and the Dallas County Facilities Division. Each of these organizations strove to achieve compliance with the decree and deserve recognition.

On February 10, 2012, The Jail Health Management Team and Parkland Health and Hospital System held a reception to thank everyone involved. Sandwiches, desserts, popcorn and drinks were available for every-one to enjoy along with the camaraderie of knowing that hard work and preservation had led to successful partnerships.

PARKLAND REASON FOR CELEBRATION

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The U.S. Secret Service, Dallas Field Office, will host the First Annual Charity Golf Outing at Hackberry Creek Country Club in Irving on Monday, March 26, 2012. The event will start at 1 p.m.

All monies raised will benefit “The V Foundation,” an organization dedicated to finding cure for cancer. Jim Valvano’s dream is one shared by millions.

Player Cost: $125 per player; Team Cost: $450 per team of four if registered by March 12, 2012.

The golf format will be a four person scramble, with additional contests such as Par 3 Hole-in-One, a Closest to the Pin, Longest Drive and a Bulls-Eye Long Drive contest. Following the golf outing, the excitement will continue with a dinner (included in the price), raffle prize drawing, as well as a silent auction.

If you are interested in participating, sponsoring a hole or donating items for the raffle or silent auction please contact Benjamin (Alan) Reeves at 214-218-1297 or at Benjamin.reeves@usss.dhs.gov

Donations, sponsorships, and monies raised will be tax deductible to the extent allowable by federal law.

Secret Service First Annual Charity Golf Outing

SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT HEROES

The Life Saving Award is awarded to employees who are directly responsible for saving a life via CPR or other actions that without which the person would have died.

On October 24, 2011 at approximately 7:40PM, Detention Service Officer Dotson, while escorting an inmate through the West Tower Facility 4th floor gym area, saw inmates attempting to get her attention. DSO Dotson then observed an inmate in 4P12 strangling himself with a piece of cloth. DSO Dotson pounded on the glass to get the inmate’s attention and called the control center for assistance. Detention Training Offi-cers Michael Perez and Randall Cartwright were assigned to the fourth floor and responded to tank 4P12 where they saw an inmate on his knees attempting to strangle himself with a torn piece of blanket. The two officers entered the tank. The inmate physically resisted their efforts to remove the ligature from his neck. They were finally able to restraint him and remove the ligature. Once the medical staff arrived on the floor, the inmate was treated. Medical staff determined the inmate needed to go to the hospital for further treat-ment.

Without the heroic effort of these officers who worked as a team successfully restraining the resisting inmate and removing the ligature around his neck, the inmate’s suicide may have been successful.

Pictured Left: DTO Michael Perez receives his Life Saving Award from Sheriff Valdez.

Pictured Right: DTO Randall Cartwright

OUTSTANDING WORK

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The Texas Chief Deputies Association is taking applications for three scholarships. The $2,000 scholarship opportunity is available to any son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter of any sheriff or sheriff’s office employee in the State of Texas who will be attending an accredited college/university or trade school in Texas. Award recipients will receive the first $1,000 at the Texas Chief Deputies Association annual training conference scheduled on June 12-15, 2012 at the Inn of The Hills, in Kerrville, Texas. The second payment will be awarded in the spring, upon proof of the student’s enrollment in school and that he or she is passing their classes.

A fourth scholarship in the amount of $2,000 is available to any sheriff’s office employee currently attending college or a law enforcement training agency. This award will be awarded in one payment at the conference in Kerrville.

You can log on to www.texaschiefdeputiesassociation.com, click on the Melvin Drum Memorial Scholarship Program link on the right, to get an application. Application deadline is April 27, 2012.

About Chief Deputy Melvin Drum

On March 28, 1987 Chief Deputy Melvin Drum was responding to a domestic call for the Ochiltree County Sheriff’s Office. While in route to the residence Chief Deputy Drum observed the suspect and his wife/victim in a 1975 Ford. Chief Deputy Drum stopped the vehicle and before he could exit his patrol unit the suspect exited his car and fatally shot Chief Drum through the patrol car window.

Chief Deputy Drum was known for his love of people and for his devotion to law enforcement. The scholar-ships and awards given are in memory of Chief Deputy Drum.

$$$ Melvin Drum Memorial Scholarship Program $$$

Assistant Chief Deputy Cheryl Wilson recently asked her staff to submit people who had done an outstanding job. Marlene James, DMU Supervisor submitted Matthew Miller for his outstanding work with the new On Base system. Marlene stated that his knowledge of computers has been a great instrument during the transition. Miller has worked closely with IT Services in getting this system in place. He gave very good and needed input when it came to selecting the machines as well as the reports, set-tings, etc. In addition of his work on the project, all areas of DMU and Intake call on him when they are having computer issues. He is not only a great supervisor but a great team member. We give a BIG THANK YOU to Mr. Miller for everything that he has done. YEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

Matthew Miller

Volume 12 Number 1 Page 8

Don Byrd, Former Dallas Sheriff, dies at 84

TRANSPORTATION - FUGITIVE SECTION / REMODELING FINISHED

Donald Arthur Byrd spent more than 30 years in law enforcement. His career included serving as the Dallas Police Chief and the Dallas County Sheriff.

In 1979, Mr. Byrd ran for Dallas County Sheriff and handily won the 1980 Republican Primary against the incumbent Carl Thomas. He was selected Sheriff in November 1980, taking 60 percent of the vote.

As Sheriff, he joined the Dallas County Sheriff’s Association in sup-porting legislation to bring deputies under civil protection, liberating them from political hiring and firing.

He ran for re-election in 1984 but lost a Republican primary runoff to longtime friend and colleague Jim Bowles, who went on to win the of-fice in the November election. Mr. Byrd and Mr. Bowles had served in the Navy together and entered the Police department on the same day in 1951.

Mr. Byrd was a consultant after leaving the Sheriff’s Office. He moved to Oklahoma in 2004.

Mr. Byrd, 84, died Sunday February 5th, 2012 at his ranch near We-tumka, Oklahoma of complications from a stroke he had in January 2011.

The Transportation Sec-tion / Fugitive Section

finally got to move back into their new remodeled offices earlier this month. The Section looks great

and the officers were eager to get back to their

regular offices.

Volume 12 Number 1 Page 9

HAPPY RETIREMENT— SGT. D. BONNER

HAPPY RETIREMENT—DEBORAH MARLOWE

On January 31, 2012, after 23 years of Service, Senior Sergeant David Bonner

decided it was time to retire from the Sheriff’s Department. Sgt. Bonner’s last

assignment was in Central Intake.

Deborah “Last of the Mohicans” Mar-lowe retired after 32 years of Ser-

vices, Friends, Co-workers and fam-ily all celebrated with Debra her great

years spent at the Sheriff’s Depart-ment. Anyone who worked with Debra knows that she was a good

friend and always had a smile. Debra worked in the Fugitive Section.

Friends and family gather to celebrate 32 years of service by Deborah Marlowe

For the latest updates:

www.dallas-sheriff.com

Volume 12 Number 1

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BIRTHS - February 6, 2012 - DMU Bonds Alicia Goodson gave birth to a baby boy. Congratulations!

DEATHS - December 23, 2011, Robert J. Blackmon Sr., passed away. He was the grandfather of Candace Blackmon, Communication Section Dis-patcher.

February 2, 2012, Tonia Kay Clark passed away. She was the niece of DTO/FW Carl Brown, George Allen Jail Transportation Division

February 2, 2012, Retired Sheriff Deputy Arthur Decardenas passed away. He was the husband of CIS Detective Marjorie DeCardenas.

February 6, 2012, retired Sheriff deputy Joe Weldon Evans passed away. He served 15 years at the Sheriff’s Office in Court Services and 29 years for the Dallas Police Department.

Our thoughts and prayers are with each family member during this difficult time.

Ms. MAE HILL

The Citizens Support Team sells acrylic paperweights. Single Sheriff’s badge or triple badge just $22.00 with engraving.

Contact Ed Clark at eclark@dallascounty.org

Dallas County Sheriff’s Department 133 N. Riverfront Blvd. LB-31 Dallas, Texas 75207-4313

FOR SALE

Sheriff’s Department Watches and Lapel Pins

Page 10

ORDER YOUR DALLAS COUNTY SHERIFF’S

DEPARTMENT WATCH!

ONLY $25.00 EACH or

BUY A SHERIFF’S BADGE 1” LAPEL PIN $3.00

Contact: Semone Lilly in the Sheriff’s Department

Administrative Offices (214)653-3462

LoCascio Care Clinic

Ms. Mae Hill, Lead Clerk-5 of the Document Imaging Section passed away on January 10, 2012. She had been with the Sheriff’s Depart-ment since May 30, 2000. Ms. Mae Hill is the sister of Executive Secretary Cozella Hill and DMU Clerk Ida Hill. She is also the aunt of DMU Bonds Lead Clerk Tamica Dunning.

Our thoughts and prayers are with each family member during this difficult time.

For submission of items to the newsletter—send to the Public Information Officer at Sheriffmedia@dallascounty.org