WilCo Commissioners To Discuss 'Live PD' Resurgence

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Many residents — including some members of the Williamson County Commissioners Court — were surprised to see deputies being featured once more on the cable television show "Live PD" after a filming agreement was previously terminated. Now, the stage is set for a showdown as officials try to determine how the sheriff came to re-secure his starring role in the nationally broadcast show in violation of a previous order.

Fans of the popular A&E Channel program have watched Williamson County Sheriff's Office deputies featured on the show — including Sheriff Robert Chody who was recently seen in protective gear as he showed the filming crew safety measures being taken to protect against the new coronavirus.

But Williamson County Commissioners Court members unanimously voted to end its contract with Big Fish Entertainment LLC — the company that produces the cable show — in August 2019 over the objections of the sheriff, who describes his department's participation as an important recruitment tool.

Related story:

• WilCo Commissioners End 'Live PD' Contract
• WilCo Sheriff Chody Finds Himself Under Unwelcome Spotlight

County commissioners once endorsed local participation in the broadcast, voting 3-2 in May 2019 to continue the contract at Chody's urging. But swirling controversies stemming from sheriff's office participation in filming prompted an about-face. For one thing, there was a wide perception that cops featured on the show play up to the camera by acting more aggressively while handling suspects — even those posing minimal threat — for the benefit of reality-show-style drama.

Yet the biggest concern centered on the show's footage that became proprietary for the production company — potentially inhibiting its use as police evidence — that is routinely destroyed by Big Fish after airing. Given such concerns, residents gathered at the commissioners court meeting at the time burst into spontaneous applause when ties were cut with the production.

At the time, Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell read the order as the relationship with the cable show came to an end:

"Please let Big Fish Entertainment understand that they no longer have permission to film our offices, our facilities, our vehicles or anything associated with Williamson County or the Williamson County Sheriff's Office. Counsel, please let Big Fish Entertainment and A&E understand that any photographs, records, or other filming that has the names, the likeness, the voices and the images and the trademark of Williamson County will not be permitted. Please help them to understand that any access to any of our Williamson County facilities beyond that 30-day period will be non-existent. Please explain to them that any effort to try to circumvent the will of this court will not be met favorably in a court of law."

And yet — without knowledge of even some county commissioners — Chody in particular and his sheriff's office in general have been featured on the show's recent episodes despite the official contract termination with the production company last summer. The issue has now been placed on the commissioners court agenda for discussion next week.

Chody alerted residents to the "Live PD" reboot in an April 19 tweet, saying it was accomplished through an "access agreement."

Patch learned that filming at the county jail had been taking place as early as December without knowledge of the commissioners court. Sources alerted Patch to the documentary-style filming, prompting a query to the sheriff's office and county spokesperson Connie Odom. The former failed to reply, but Odom wrote in a Dec. 20, 2019, email: "I did a quick search of Commissioners Court minutes to answer the question if the court approved it, and I do not find an agreement for filming in the jail on Rock Street. I can tell you that in the past, any request for filming at the jail that is actively in use by the Sheriff’s Office was handled by them directly."

It's unclear what the nature of that filming was. The sheriff's office repeatedly fails to answer emails from Patch after initially cooperating with formal media requests.

Commissioner Cynthia Long made the motion at the April 21 meeting to place the item on the commissioners court. Commissoiner Valerie Covey lauded the move, adding: "But I just want to say wow. I had no knowledge that this was happening, and I am very disappointed that we're talking about a TV show again — especially during a pandemic when our efforts should be focused on our public and the matters at hand and that the decision the court made unamisously was completely disregarded."

The item now has been placed on the April 28 Williamson County Commissioners Court agenda for discussion in the 70th position. Commissoners Court meetings generally are staged on most Tuesdays starting at 9:30 a.m. Find agendas and minutes here. Commissioners Court for the April 28 session will take place at 11:30 am.