Jimmy Fullen - Galveston County Sheriff Joins Houston's Morning News

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, it can get a little wild during JEEP Weekend
down in Galveston, but I'm sure our next guest is
fully prepared for that, as he has been previously for this,
and we all know what JEEP Weekend is all about.
Jimmy Fullan joins us. He's Galveston County Sheriff. Sheriff, welcome
to the show. I bet you're not looking forward to
this weekend, particularly, I'm.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Not really looking forward to but I think we've set
our plan in motion and I think we're ready for
him to come on down. But let's make sure we understand.
It is not in Galveston. It's on the Bottlevar Peninsula.
You're right, sir, We certainly don't want to discourage any
visitors from coming to Galvias.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Okay, fair enough, you're right. And I've got a place
in Freeport that doesn't make its way as far west
and Freeport does it.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
It has in the past, and reunately, Sheriff both saw
them and over in Brazoria County he knows how to
deal with those crowds as well.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Okay, what are the biggest problems. I'm assuming that the
biggest problem traditionally has been the driving habits of some
of the participants along with alcohol.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
That is correct and what we did, Jimmy, as we
had our captains when I took over in January, I
had my captains go back to the last two years
and try to figure out where the highest volumes of
calls and crimes were being committed. So that's why we
decided to do a six point two mile stretch, which
it is going to be our events locations. And that's

(01:18):
why we went in there with our no stopping standing
or parking rules as well as making them people drive
one way coming in and one way going out. Hopefully
that'll keep everybody from bottlenecking on the beach where they
don't have time to sit there and drink and fournicate,
urinate and everything else on our public beaches.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yeah, they're doing it. You had I want to say,
you had something like three hundred to rest last year.
That's a lot of folks to rest.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Are I believe there was.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
I believe there was three hundred and twenty seven arrests
last year.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
That's a lot for them weekend, I think.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Oh yeah, absolutely, including you know, including his shooting, homicides
and stuff like that. You know, we wanted people to
come down to Crystal Beach and have a good time
and enjoy themselves, and how we need to have dollars
down here in Galveston County.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
But at the same time, we want them to.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Obey our laws and obey our rules.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
And unfortunately, if they choose not.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
To obey our walls, we have a little room in
our county jail over here in Galveston, and that's exactly.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Where we're going to put them if they come down
here and violate the law.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
I'm a come here versus a from here, Sheriff, So
educate me a little bit here. How far does Jeep
Weekend go back? What got this whole thing started?

Speaker 2 (02:23):
It was about actually about sixteen seventeen years ago. You
had a bunch of middle aged folks and a jeep
enthusiasts and they started this topless weekend and they come
down here and have a great time. But then over
time you started having a younger crowds starting to come
in with their side by sides and everything else, and
before you know it, the violence started and it just

(02:44):
became a just a free for all down on the beach.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Okay, And obviously that that is no longer going to
be tolerated. I'm assuming that all the police and sheriff's
departments throughout that area we're talking about all all men
on duty, all men, and I'm and on duty right, everybody.
You're probably gonna have more officers out there this weekend
than you would normally have any other time.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
We'll give you just an example.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
We have fourteen agencies tolling five hundred and twenty one officers,
including a team from a Uvalde and Eagle Pass area
from DPS that are coming down strictly to do DWI
Task Force.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Okay, with over five hundred officers there, you all going
down there, better behave Jimmy, thanks for joining us. I
appreciate it. Thank you, Jimmy, I appreciate you.

Speaker 3 (03:32):
You bet.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen Again, it's on Bolivar Peninsula.
If you want to go to Galveston, go to Galveston