The Wichita County (Texas) Sheriff’s office has decided to close its collections department, which went after individuals with unpaid fines and court costs, because of budget cuts. Sheriff David Duke was told he had to cut two positions from his office and decided to lay off the two individuals who worked in the collections office rather than let two of his deputies go.
In Texas, sheriffs are not required to be in charge of their collections office, which Duke said made his decision easier.
A judge in Wichita County is hoping a court clerk can step up and fill the void now left by the office’s closure. Closing the collections unit means that nobody will be actively seeking repayments on unpaid debts owed to the county court.
The collections unit recovered $400,000 in unpaid debts last year, according to the judge.
