Gun Barrel City reviews municipal‑court activity and police quarterly report

Gun Barrel City Council heard quarterly reports from Municipal Judge Grace Wallace and the police department at its Nov. 18 meeting, covering court caseloads, community outreach, recruitment and animal‑control activity.

Judge Grace Wallace said Municipal Courts Week (House Resolution 1658) recognizes municipal courts’ role in handling fine‑only offenses. She reported that police filed 351 cases in the quarter and animal control filed 11, for a total the transcript records as 452 new cases filed across August–October; the report listed approximately $109,957.67 collected, with a portion remitted to the state. Wallace also said 705 cases were disposed during the period. Council asked no questions.

Captain (formerly identified in the transcript as Pena, who stated 'It’s Katsulas now') presented police dispatch and animal‑control highlights. He thanked event coordinator Brooke Carroll for National Night Out on Oct. 7 and described the Maybelle Toy Drive collection schedule (Thursdays 4–7 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m.–5 p.m. outside Walmart and at City Hall/PD) and a delivery day on Saturday, Dec. 13. The captain outlined recruitment efforts—visits to academies including Navarro College—and said the department has two dispatch vacancies and four patrol vacancies, plus one officer on maternity leave. He introduced new hire Destiny Hood and said recent hiring and training changes include dispatch academy graduates.

On public‑safety metrics, the captain said arrests dropped from about 180 to about 110 quarter‑to‑quarter and citations/warnings decreased from roughly 899 to 544, a change he attributed in part to staffing levels and fewer traffic stops. He reported the department has assisted the neighboring 7 Points Police Department on approximately 12 calls.

Animal‑control work included an animal‑cruelty case involving puppies (one fatality from parvovirus), training for the animal‑control officer (including animal‑cruelty investigations and dangerous‑dog handling), and 17 impounds in three months—16 transferred to the Humane Society of Cedar Creek and one reunited after a $55 impound fee. The captain said staff are addressing a feral‑dog situation on Acres Loop in coordination with the county.

The captain also described the department’s accreditation effort—policy rewrites and third‑party verification—and noted that patrol units now carry stop‑the‑bleed trauma kits and issued tourniquets. He closed by thanking council and the community. The reports were informational and required no council action.