By Several local police departments are grumbling about a new directive from Sheriff Javier Salazar about the handling of people who are arrested. Salazar sent a memo to Bexar County agencies last month that said suspects must be taken to a hospital to be medically screened before being booked into the jail.
The new policy says suspects who are detoxing from drugs or alcohol, insulin-dependent diabetics, and people needing dialysis would be rejected by the jail. Local agencies say they lack the manpower to wait at the hospital for hours, so the new policy puts public safety at risk.
