Two More Fired During County Jail Probe

TYLER � Two more persons have been fired as a result of the investigation of misconduct among personnel at the Smith County Jail. The remaining two persons who had been placed on administrative leave pending investigation for misconduct have had their employment terminated as of Tuesday, September 16. The former detention officer and detention sergeant have ten days to appeal the termination with Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith.

When the story broke On September 5th, officials said one sergeant and three officers had already resigned, and a sergeant and two officers had been put on administrative leave. Officials say the probe regards falsification of jail logs cataloguing times when cells were checked to make sure inmates were accounted for and not in distress. According to a news release, numerous employees say the activity�s been going on for at least seven years that they know of.

Once Sheriff Larry Smith was notified of the potential criminal and policy violations, he contacted District Attorney Matt Bingham to advise him of the situation and then notified the Texas Rangers to conduct an independent criminal investigation into the allegations. Sheriff Smith also reported this situation to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards upon the initial findings.

Sheriff Smith asked the Ranger and Sheriff Smith’s Office of Professional Responsibility Investigator to follow the investigation to wherever it leads them regardless of who are involved. Sheriff Smith has stated from the beginning of his term in office, “The bar is being raised, I do demand integrity, the citizens of Smith County deserve for their law enforcement officers to be ethical and of high integrity and there will be accountability”.