Dallas, Fort Worth Tell Officers to Pair Up

DALLAS/FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF News) – Dallas and Fort Worth Police Departments are telling officers to respond to calls with a partner as a result of this weekend’s shooting in San Antonio.

Fort Worth put out the order in July when five Dallas police officers were ambushed and murdered.

“They say the job is not that dangerous,” said Frederick Frazier with the Dallas Police Association. “They say you could go be a logger in Seattle and it’s more dangerous. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Frazier hopes lawmakers will pass a bill that would make attacks on police a hate crime. State Representative Jason Villalba told WFAA-TV the bill will take priority in the next legislative session, which begins in January. “We’re going to ask that it become an emergency legislative item for the governor, so that as soon as we get to Austin, we pass it right away and make it law right away.”

18 police officers in Texas have been killed in the line of duty this year. That’s more than any other state. “When you see those things happening over and over, something is wrong. The system has failed and someone should be held responsible,” said Frazier. “Everybody is fed up. To be honest, citizens need to step up and speak up every time one of these officers goes down.”