JOURDANTON, Texas – The Jourdanton Police Department has decided to make a move in order to better protect their police officers.
Police Chief Eric Kaiser has implemented a plan of doubling up officers on various patrols.
The move comes in the wake of several fatal shootings of officers around Texas and the country.
"We never know who we are going to come in contact with from one day to the next," said Sgt. Wade Middleton of the Jourdanton Police Department.
Thanks to the oil boom, there are more people in and around Jourdanton, and many of them are from out of town.
"It's just as random that we could run into somebody (who) is not from here (who) wants to cause harm, or somebody from here (who) wants to cause an officer harm, Middleton said. "We can't go in with blinders on."
Not only is it safety in numbers for the officers, but it could also have an effect on the crime rate.
"Most people comply, anyway, but with two people on, there is even a higher probability that they're going to comply," Middleton said.
Traveling in pairs may take vehicles off the street, but it should make conditions safer for officers, Middleton said.
"You sacrifice your visual presence and your command presence for the safety, which I think was a proper decision," Middleton said.