Police chiefs from across Texas are holding their annual conference this week in Fort Worth. The Texas Police Chiefs Association is meeting at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
"We're excited about bringing police chiefs together from all across the State of Texas to talk about leadership, talk about what's going on in professional policing and also just bringing us together to have some fellowship," says North Richland Hills Police Chief Jimmy Perdue, the president of the Texas Police Chiefs Association.
The theme of this year's conference is "persevere."
"It has been a difficult few years, no question, for law enforcement across Texas and across the country," Perdue says. "Our theme this year, I think, speaks to that issue of trying to persevere through all the hard times we've had and to embrace the communities across Texas and the country."
The Texas legislature is now meeting in Austin, and Perdue says the conference in Fort Worth gives chiefs a chance to talk about issues lawmakers are discussing that impact law enforcement. He says police chiefs are seeking additional funding for training.
"There has been a significant increase in demand for training across Texas. So far, the legislature has had some additional funding put into the budget," he says. "There are also some issues with accreditation. Accreditation is a very important thing. What that does is allows departments across Texas to have a benchmark they can follow, and they can all understand these are the areas they should focus on: good policy, good practice, good procedures."
Perdue says chiefs are also talking about how to address mental health. He says North Texas has two large mental health facilities, but smaller departments may have to drive someone having a mental health crisis hours away for help.
"We are in a bit of a mental health crisis," he says. "That's not the way it should be in Texas, and the Texas Legislature is stepping up to try to provide additional funds for additional beds as well as provide some policy issues."
Perdue says the legislature is also advancing measures that would give police more access to someone's mental health background when they respond to calls.
"The thing we, as police chiefs, always have to remember is about that officer who's on the side of the road at three o'clock in the morning by himself, how do we get information to him or her to make sure they're as safe as they can be?" he says.
Perdue has also led fundraising for the families of fallen officers. The Fallen Officer Survivor Benefit Program paid $190,000 to families last year and averages $130,000 a year. The program provides $10,000 to a fallen officer's family within 24 hours.
Perdue says those checks can help families of officers killed in the line of duty meet immediate needs until they can work through state and federal bureaucracies.
During the meeting this week, the Texas Police Chiefs Association is auctioning off a 23-foot Skeeter bass boat.
"We are doing something we've never done before," Perdue says. "We've historically raffled off a gun or two, but this year, we've decided to raffle off a bass boat."
Tickets are $100 each. You can enter the raffle HERE.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news