Dallas County Precinct 5 constable recognized for restoring credibility to his office

DALLAS - A troubled Dallas County constable precinct that had lost its credibility because of poor management is being restored by new leadership.

Michael Orozco has been the Precinct 5 constable since 2018.

The state association of justices of the peace and constables is recognizing his work on the turnaround with a statewide award.

Michael Orozco was first appointed constable for Precinct 5 in 2018 in the middle of a ‘storm.’ He calmed the storm, straightened the ship and now has taken the office in a new direction.

Father and son could be no truer than with Dallas County Constable Michael Orozco and father, Richard Orozco.

The father was in the Marines; the son was in the Marines. 

The father worked in Dallas County law enforcement, becoming chief deputy for the late Constable Joe Bagby.

Michael became a deputy constable in 1997 in the same precinct he now leads as constable.

"It took a while, but I never gave up because I knew if I was given this opportunity with the leadership that I've gained over the years from the Marine Corps from taking my own initiative from my father from my mom, that if I was given this opportunity, we could simply be the best."

The state of Texas has taken notice.

The Justice of the Peace and Constable Association of Texas, or JCPA, has named Michael, the Dallas County Precinct 5 constable as the Constable of the Year for 2024.

Michael turned around the precinct from the worst to the best.

"Unfortunately, this precinct has had over 20 years of kind of a dark cloud over it," he said.

Four previous constables were either charged criminally or had license suspensions and left office.

"My whole goal has been to change the image of the constable’s office," Michael said.

 Michael did that with new policies and procedures and work, like informing residents of their rights through eviction clinics to minimize illegal evictions during COVID.

Michael also pushed legislation that became state law in 2023 to help protect domestic abuse and stalking victims who get an emergency protective order.

"We're not going to stop there. I’ve got some wonderful ideas that I've already pitched to our JCPA legislative committee," he said. "And i think we're going to get support on that as well."

Constable Orozco hopes the policies implemented here become models for constables across the state. Most importantly, he wants the people who encounter constables to encounter professionalism and safety.