CHAPEL HILL, Texas — Smith County Pct. 4 Constable Josh Joplin on Sunday spoke with residents and addressed questions in Chapel Hill regarding the proper permitting process for mass gatherings and horse racing.
The town hall meeting also served as a way to discuss tighter enforcement of the law after a trail ride event in Smith County ended with five people shot last month.
"I’m not here to tell you that I don’t want you to have a trail ride," Joplin said. "I have never said that. If there was anybody here in 2020, I came out on a Sunday to the Ford Farm on County Road 233 and I had this exact same discussion with everybody."
Joplin focused on the permit application process. He said getting the permit is absolutely free and ensures safety measures are in place during the time of an event.
"That means you get the county judge, the fire marshal, the use of the courtroom, the sheriff and me for free," Joplin said. "It don't cost you nothing. All it takes is a little bit of time to fill it out."
The June trail ride shooting remains under investigation, but Joplin emphasized obtaining a permit records proper security measures. He added security company present at the shooting was not licensed within the state.
"I'm gonna tell you why I know they weren't licensed, because if they were licensed they wouldn't have all jumped in their cars and left when we showed up," Joplin said. "What kind of security is that? Then on top of that, in my opinion, they illegally took guns away from people and then gave them back to them when the shooting started. Now where does that make any sense?"
Maurice McDonald, club president of Jackson Community Riders, said a trail ride is strictly horses, fun, good music, and good food.
"Once that trail ride has proceeded to come back off their ride, the best thing to do is shut the trail ride down before it gets dark. The society has changed, the generation has changed," said McDonald. "So by me saying that we didn't ever have to have a permit now, as a 21-year club running. We do have to have it, and we have always kept a safe trail route and never had any incident."
Joplin said he’s available to speak about any further questions, and residents can start by giving his office a call.
RELATED: Smith County deputies continue to investigate trail ride shooting, unpermitted mass gatherings