9 - Public Records (State, National, or International)

 

Public Records: Texas

Around the United States having access to public records is a way for citizens to stay up to date on arrests, court meetings, etc.. For the second public records assignment I chose to focus on the state of Texas. I wanted to pick a bigger state compared to Arkansas and see if it was just as easy to access their public records. It turns out it is easier to find and access their public records than it was for me to access Faulkner county local records. 

On October 6, 2020 a Texas Police Officer was charged with murder after shooting and killing a African American male. The shooting occurred after a disturbance call was made at a local convenience store. Johnathan Price was walking away from police officer Shaun Lucas open fired on Price killing him on scene. He was placed in the Hunt County Jail with a bail set for one million dollars. Upon further investigation his only work experience was working as a jailer and had only been working for the department for just under six months.  

The Texas Department of Public Safety gives easy access to crime records and more. Users can do searches specialized for different criminal offenses. For example, they have a sex offender, criminal records, and misuses of identity searches. They also have forms users can fill out to request for public criminal history data. The form is very short and easy to fill out but has a fee of $100 to receive the information. They give access to the Top 10 most wanted sex offenders in the state of Texas. The most wanted sex offender in Texas as listed by the Department of Public Safety is Reginald O'Keith Williams with a reward of $5,000. His charges are aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault of a child, and sexual assault. 

 

Gaining access to criminal records and more are easier when looking into larger states/areas. Gaining access to these records is important for the safety of your family and yourself. I know as a young woman being knowledgeable of registered sex offenders and more could keep you safe. People my age aren't interested in things like this but it is so important for young people to be educated.