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Lockhart Police publish first Lockhart Freedom Act quarterly report; council accepts report
Summary
The Lockhart Police Department presented its first quarterly report on misdemeanor marijuana enforcement under the Lockhart Freedom Act, detailing enforcement practices, data collection changes and policy codification; the City Council voted to receive the report 6-0.
The Lockhart Police Department presented its first quarterly report on misdemeanor marijuana enforcement under the Lockhart Freedom Act on March 18, and the City Council formally accepted the report.
Chief Gary Williamson told the council the Lockhart Freedom Act, approved by voters on Nov. 5, 2024, amended the city charter to decriminalize possession of four ounces or less of marijuana but that city policy must align with state and federal law. Williamson said the city attorney’s office identified three charter sections that the department could implement without conflicting with state law and that the department has codified its existing practice for low-level possession in a new Policy 7.46, “Marijuana Enforcement.”
The report covers the period from Nov. 5, 2024, through March 6, 2025, and will now include misdemeanor marijuana possession data in quarterly reporting: total arrests and citations, estimated personnel hours dedicated to enforcement and demographic breakdowns (age, gender, race and ethnicity). Williamson said officers retain discretion to issue citations in lieu of custodial arrest for personal-use amounts, typically under two ounces, and that custodial arrests continue when indicators of distribution, possession with a firearm, accompanying violent offenses, or possession of felony-level items such as THC vape cartridges are present.
Why this matters: the Lockhart Freedom Act changed local policy by charter amendment, but state law and the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure still vest authority and duties in peace officers; the police department and city attorney have constrained implementation to practices that do not conflict with state law and increased transparency through expanded quarterly reporting.
The council voted 6-0 to receive the Lockhart Freedom Act first quarterly report. The motion to accept the report was moved by Council Member Larson and seconded by Council Member Castillo.
Council members asked for comparisons to prior years; Chief Williamson said prior reporting separated felony and misdemeanor arrests but the new report breaks out misdemeanor marijuana data and includes the new demographic and personnel-hour fields going forward.
The accepted report will be the baseline for future quarterly updates. Chief Williamson said the department will continue documenting seizures and evidence handling consistent with existing evidence policy and will include the newly required demographic and enforcement-hour fields in future public reports.
Ending: The council’s formal receipt of the report does not itself change enforcement practice beyond the codification in Policy 7.46 and the expanded reporting; the department will deliver the next quarterly update as scheduled.
