Constable defends use of controversial Facebook arrest photos

A couple of months ago, The Woodlands resident Jay Coons, 67, was scrolling though Facebook when the former Houston-area patrol commander with 40 years law enforcement experience came across an unnerving photo. Staring back at him was a middle-aged woman displaying a dejected appearance as she sat in a patrol cruiser with her hands apparently restrained. At the time of the photo, the unidentified woman had just been detained by the Montgomery County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office for allegedly being caught in possession of a controlled substance on FM 1488. Shared by Precinct 5 to its around 6,400 Facebook followers, the photo drew a range of emotions in the comments from many expressing sympathy with the sullen-faced woman’s circumstances. The overwhelming majority of the 83 respondents chastised the Magnolia agency as exploitative for having uploaded the image.

“I don’t see a legitimate public service, or public interest served, by a law enforcement agency putting this out there and humiliating these people just because they can,” Coons said in an interview. For Pct. 5 Constable Chris Jones, roadside detention photos posted on Facebook fulfill a need for transparency during a controversial time for policing. “Right now, law enforcement has a lot of scrutiny going on about what we do out there, so we’re wide open about what we do,” Jones said. “I believe it’s a way of letting the public know that we’re out there taking care of business and what we’re doing out there on a daily basis and what we’re having to deal with as law enforcement.” Although the four other Montgomery County constable’s offices’ Facebook pages occasionally post photos at scenes of criminal apprehension, none are as glaring as Precinct 5’s. No law enforcement agency in the county highlights their roadside detentions with as much frequency as Precinct 5. The practice of posting these pics took off about a year ago or so, the constable said. As of Friday on the Precinct 5’s Facebook page, there were about 40 photos posted since Jan. 3 that depict people handcuffed following apprehension.