Low-level crimes may no longer mean an automatic arrest in Tarrant County. Here’s why
Police officers in Tarrant County may no longer arrest people accused of certain low-level, misdemeanor crimes, Tarrant County officials announced Monday.
People charged with Class A and B misdemeanors will be eligible for a citation, according to a news release from the Tarrant County Law Enforcement Executives Association and the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
The case will still be filed with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The goal is to save officers’ time and reduce jail costs.
Some of the offenses eligible for a citation include:
Possession of marijuana less than 2 ounces.
Possession of marijuana between 2 and 4 ounces.
Possession of controlled substance in penalty group 2A less than 2 ounces.
Possession of controlled substance in penalty group 2A between 2 and 4 ounces.
Criminal mischief if the amount of loss is between $100 and $750.
Graffiti if the damage is between $100 and $2,500.
Theft between $100 and $750.
“We are not dismissing theft or drug cases,” Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Sharen Wilson said in the statement. “This is just another way to prosecute these cases efficiently.”
Officers will still have the discretion to jail people.
The change is part of a 2007 law known as Cite and Release, which allows those charged with some Class A and B misdemeanor offenses to be eligible for a citation rather than an immediate arrest.
