Texas Sheriff’s Sanctuary Policies Stop 200 Deputies from Receiving Life-Saving Body Armor

Hernandez Abbott
Image: Breitbart Texas
Bob Price

Sheriff’s deputies in Travis County, Texas, will not receive life-saving body armor because Sheriff Sally Hernandez has not applied for a grant that requires certifying compliance with ICE detainer requests.

Sheriff “Sanctuary Sally” Hernandez did not apply for the state funds that calls for her to “sign a letter confirming compliance with ICE detainer requests both now and during the grant term of at least one year,” reported KXAN in Austin. The deadline to apply for the grant was September 6, 2017.

The local NBC affiliate reported that a search of Travis County Commissioner’s Court records revealed that the county had planned to ask for a $240,000 state grant – enough for more than 200 rifle-resistant vests. “It is anticipated the number of fatal shootings will be reduced by equipping more officers with type III & IV body armor,” said the recommendations.

Although her office says she is complying with ICE detainers, Hernandez would not sign the letter saying she would confirm compliance.

Last month on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, Governor Greg Abbott announced that the State of Texas would be providing $23 million in grant funding for rifle resistant vests for police officers in the state. He said officers in 453 different jurisdictions in Texas would receive almost 33,000 vests that protect against high caliber rounds.

Abbott visited with officers at the Dallas Police Association and released a statement which said:

The job of our law enforcement community is becoming more difficult as the threats our officers face continue to increase. The State of Texas will not sit idly by and tolerate these actions against officers who are simply doing their job to uphold the law and protect the people of Texas.

He added that officers in Texas “deserve” this “life-saving equipment.”

Breitbart Texas provided livewire coverage during the shooting sniper rampage in Dallas that left five police officers dead and six wounded after a Black Lives Matter protest.

The sniper, Micah X. Johnson, was a member of the Houston New Black Panther Party. He was expelled from the organization for not following the chain of command. Before he was killed by a bomb set off by officers, during the ambush Johnson said he wanted to kill white people and white police officers.

Breitbart Texas was present at an armed march carried out by the Houston New Black Panther Party in Waller County the previous summer. This writer stood between the protesters and the deputies to take these photos and video. One of the members holding an AR-15 style rifle appears to be Micah Xavier Johnson.

Sheriff Hernandez was reported to say she wanted to wait until the litigation of Texas’ anti-sanctuary jurisdiction bill (SB 4) was complete. Breitbart Texas conducted an exclusive interview with Governor Abbott immediately after he signed the historic bill in 2017 that effectively outlaws sanctuary jurisdictions in the state.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) took little time in filing the first lawsuit to block the new legislation, Breitbart Texas reported. Democrat cities in the politically-red state joined the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and other open borders Latino organizations in the litigation. The Mexican government even entered the legal fray which is still pending in the judicial system.

On Thursday Governor Abbott Tweeted the KXAN article saying, “Travis County Sheriff’s Office deputies do not have rifle-resistant vests because Sheriff Sally Hernandez will not commit to holding all arrested undocumented immigrants for deportation. #txlege #tcot #BackTheBlue”:

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The bi-partisan legislation which created the funding for the personal body armor was passed during the 2017 session. State Senator Royce West (D-Dallas) and House Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford) authored the bill.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, Gab, and Facebook.

 

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