RAYMONDVILLE — Newly drafted policies oversee operations at the city’s first jail.
City commissioners have approved policies to run the jail, ranging from holding prisoners, booking prisoners and prisoners’ rights.
The jail is part of the $1.8 million police station that opened in December.
“We’ve got a new jail so we’ve got to see that it’s properly run,” Police Chief Uvaldo Zamora said.
According to policy, Zamora directly controls the jail while the police department’s detective sergeant serves as its operator and supervisor.
On-duty patrol supervisors assume responsibility for its daily operations.
Policy requires officers to operate their body cameras while prisoners are outside jail cells.
Likewise, officers must secure their weapons in a “lock box” before removing prisoners from units.
The policy requires that all prisoners, with the exception of those charged with Class C misdemeanors, be booked, searched, fingerprinted and photographed.
Policy also requires prisoners charged with a first-time Class C misdemeanor be fingerprinted and photographed.
Cavity searches are prohibited.
The jail includes two holding cells with a total capacity of 16 prisoners.
“One cell shall be utilized for the placement of males and the other for the placement of females,” the policy states.
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