Commissioners approve ending agreement for bond officer

Stephens County Commissioners last Monday approved removing Stephens County from an interlocal agreement with Young County for a bond supervision officer and making it a local position. The county will continue to pay the current Young County Bond Supervisor, Cliff Blackstock, until the switch is completed for the position.

The bond supervisor oversees bond stipulations placed on individuals who are charged with a crime such as those involving drug testing, ankle monitors and more. Stephens County Judge Michael Roach said he spoke with 90th Judicial District Judge Stephen Bristow regarding the change in the position.

“Judge Bristow visited with me last week and right now the bond conditions officer, which worked for the district court, he also worked for the JP court and any judges who set bonds and (...) sometimes they’ll put conditions on them. There’s some offenses (for example if it is) maybe an alleged offense of sexual assault of a child and they have to have an ankle monitor and you can’t go near schools in these places. Somebody has to oversee them (and) that’s what that is, in case anybody’s wondering,” Judge Roach said. “Well, Cliff Blackstock is a constable in Young County and he lives in Olney which is north of Graham. He can’t get over to Stephens County as often as he would like, he’s too busy. (...) Stephens County (pays) $7,500 a year, the city of Breckenridge (pays) $7,000. They’re asking that they keep the position. They want that (position to stay) because somebody’s got to keep an eye on these folks, right. But, they want Stephens County to hire their own bond conditions officer, and so whatever money we contribute won’t go to Young County and Cliff anymore, I’ll just be paid to somebody here local. That will keep up and so they’ll be right here.”

The idea for a bond supervisor position between the entities came from Community Leaders Against Crime, a local task force which was composed of elected officials, judicial personnel, law enforcement, city administrators and other community leaders was formed in the summer of 2013 in response to increased crime in Graham. In 2014, the position was approved in September by the city which was the last entity to sign off on the interlocal agreement. Judge Bristow said in a previous meeting that the amounts each entity paid for the position were set from what he recalls based on caseload.

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