Freestone County approves interlocal agreement with Oakwood Police Department amid liability and jurisdiction concerns

Freestone County Commissioners on an item to allow municipal officers to operate in parts of the county approved an interlocal cooperation agreement that will permit the Oakwood Police Department to exercise law-enforcement authority in specified county areas, including patrols on county roads near the city border.

The agreement was presented during discussion of precinct security and reserve deputies. The court voted to enter the interlocal cooperation arrangement after commissioners heard resident testimony urging continued Oakwood patrols for faster response times and county staff described the agreement as similar to a mutual-aid arrangement.

The discussion focused on three practical questions: what duties visiting officers will perform, whether the county or the municipality will bear liability for injuries or misconduct, and how dispatch will coordinate calls. Precinct staff described the visiting Oakwood officers as carrying active peace officer…