Fort Bend Co. constable puts stop to lieutenant's 'arrest challenge'

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- The text was headlined "CHALLENGE."

Written by a patrol lieutenant from the Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Constable's office, it included a picture of a brand new Chevy Tahoe with ghost lettering she had been recently assigned.

The text was sent from the lieutenant to deputies from her personal phone, according to Constable Wayne Thompson. It went on to offer two weeks of use in the new vehicle to the deputy who racked up the most arrests from April 2-18. The deputy with the second-most arrests was to be given use of the vehicle for one week.

"We don't do that here. It's never been done before. I think it's important to realize the difference between a challenge and a contest," said Thompson.

Thompson labeled it a contest in an email he sent to the entire office Saturday, characterizing the text as an effort, "in jest." He ordered it "will not be done."

"The law is very clear: we can't conduct any sort of reward, or promote people, or discipline people based on the number of traffic tickets they write, or arrest," said Thompson.

The constable said there was no reason to reprimand the lieutenant, that she knows now what she wrote in the text was wrong. There was no violation of policy or law, he insists, because he stopped this effort before it even started.

Still, what he's battling here, he knows, is public perception.

"I don't think that's really fair. For them to do that kind of stuff. That's kind of telling people to go out and arrest some more. It just doesn't sound right," said concerned resident Rick Wade.

Thompson said there is no quota system, and insists the men and women of his office work hard every day to uphold the law and protect those living in his precinct.

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